Sephora: My Stash

Hey, hey, hey it's the weekend and there's no better way to come back from my short hiatus than do some retail therapy at Sephora! *insert googley eyes* I was running low on some stuff and Sephora had this promo of earning 3X points on every purchase (promo ran for about 3 days only) so I happily took advantage of the great offer.

Let's check out my stash for the day:

L-R: Marc Jacobs Beauty Lovemarc Lip Gel, Make Up Forever HD Primer, Make Up Forever Double Ended Sculpting Brush 

Marc Jacobs Beauty Lovemarc Lip Gel in Neo-Noir. I've been experimenting on different types of red hues for my lips and I simply love the rich color of Neo-Noir! The lipstick glides on smoothly and my lips did not dry out after having it on for a couple of hours. This is my first Marc Jacobs cosmetics purchase and I am impressed!

This color is going to be perfect for fall! :)

So excited, I tried it on right after taking a nap. Uhm yeah, I'm really frustrated with my camera 'coz when I tried to take pictures of my lips, the color seems to look PINK instead of like a dark cherry (bad bathroom lighting, I guess). See what I mean? 

I love my messy hair. Ha!

I love how the casing has a built-in magnet by the enclosure so the cover snaps into the body case easily.

Make Up Forever  HD Primer. I think there are about 7 different kinds of HD Primers and I always go for Yellow #6. It says here on the box that it's used to lighten dark complexions and yellowish skin tones. I don't have a dark complexion per se, but I do love the fact that this primer evens out my skin tone before applying foundation.

Make Up Forever Double Ended Sculpting Brush. I badly needed a blush brush and I already have MUFE's Kabuki brush and Foundation brush so I already know it's going to be a reliable product. I love how it has a dual purpose, one side for highlighting/ applying blush and the other side, for sculpting. As if I know how to use a bronzer! Ha! But it's best to be prepared with the right tools, right?

I restocked on my Shiseido Facial Cotton, too. So far, this is the only cotton that doesn't feel abrasive on my face. Ever had some cotton pads that feel rough? This one is so soft that I don't feel like the fibers are going to scratch my face!

I also tried the Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue - Escape to Panarea but after some time, I didn't like the scent of it on my skin. So I had to go back to the store and just switched it to the trusty 'ol regular Light Blue instead.

I didn't want to go overboard with just a single purchase, especially for someone who rarely wears make-up so that's about it for me today.

I'm thinking my next lipstick purchase should be in a dark gothic color then I'll shave my head just to freak my boyfriend out. Ha!

Happy Weekend my minions, I'm glad to be back!

Toodles!

Perks Alert: Sephora

Being a horrible daughter that I am, I wasn't able to get anything for my mom during Mother's Day. So today, I told her I would bring her to Sephora and let her get whatever she wants so  I don't have to feel guilty anymore I can finally make the Mumsies happy. 

I wasn't really planning to buy anything for myself but I forgot that I actually need some stuff too :

This is the thickening spray that I use from Bumble and bumble. I only use this product when I cut my hair short since my hair is too straight and I need something that would give my hair some volume. What I love about this spray is that it's not sticky nor heavy, so it doesn't feel like you've actually put something on your hair.

I needed a replacement for my everyday lipstick and usually I get the subtle pink or coral tones from Dior Addict but this time, I wanted to try the Dior Addict Fluid Stick. The product itself isn't new since YSL came out first with it around last year called Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain . It's like a hybrid product of a lip tint, a lipstick and a lip gloss. When you first put it on, the consistency feels like a lip stain but then somehow the product thickens and starts to feel like a lipstick and it has the right amount of gloss.

Brilliant packaging. They shaped the container to look like it's a lipstick but that's actually the gloss.

I think it's got a good amount of pigment and the color is buildable if you want it darker.

Anyhoo, this is a Perks Alert post so let's talk about what Sephora had for me today. If you're not familiar yet with Sephora's rewards card program, here's a little breakdown for ya: It's a free program and there are three statuses you can achieve. You can avail of the Beauty Insider status with no purchase necessary (just go to a store near you and get your Beauty Insider card), then if you've spent $350 in a calendar year, they upgrade you to VIB status (Very Important Beauty Insider) and if you've spent $1000 in a calendar year, they upgrade you to VIB Rouge status, which has a great perk of free shipping on any purchase, anytime. To get more details on the perks, click here.

You get one point for every dollar that you spend and they usually have a 100-point or 500-point reward that you can redeem your points with. I had over 1,200 points and to be honest, it's sometimes hard for me to redeem any them 'coz the selection of the rewards kinda suck. I mean, if I'm gonna spend 500 points = $500, then it better be worth it.

But ooh la la, what do we have here? A Balenciaga silk scarf with a mini Rosabotanica Eau de Parfum for 500 points...Score! :)

I'm beginning to think that I am sorta kinda obsessed with freebies---well, semi-freebie since you do have to spend 500 bucks (for 500 points) just to redeem this gift. Tee-hee.

Toodles!

Fruit Fashion Files : Children's Party

Guess who ate some Filipino food last Saturday? =) Oh yes, it was break time for me from the take-outs and junk food! I went to a double birthday celebration for a family friend and her nephew so it was kind of a full house at their place. Two things that I realized while I was at the party is that:

1. I cannot have kids right now, I am definitely NOT ready. I love kids, I really do! But having my own right now is a different story. At the party, my ears were bleeding to death from all the kids yelling and I kind of wanted to trip some of them just to stop 'em from running amok like a herd of wild horses. Now I know how having a migraine feels like.

Photo Credits: Stuck in Customs

2. I miss Filipino food. I had empanada, Jollibee spaghetti, chicken adobo, lumpia shanghai (spring rolls), leche flan, buko pandan (dessert made from young coconut and screwpine leaves) and...other stuff. I don't want to enumerate all the food I consumed that day because then you're going to tease me. *blush* I have feelings, you know. Ha!
Anyways, it was too darn HOT that day that it felt like a bikini outfit was a must, but of course... it was a children's birthday party so Auntie Pears needed to stay cool but couldn't totally bring a lot of sexy back =)

Collared hi-lo top by H&M; Distressed denim shorts bought at a market in HK; Gladiator sandals by Giuseppe Zanotti

I love the print of my top, at first glance I thought it had leopard prints but if you look closer, it looks like fully-bloomed flowers..can you make out the petals? =)

On my face: 

Make Up For Ever HD powder

Lipstick Dior Addict Extreme 639 Riviera; Dior Eye Pencil  594 Intense Brown

Too Faced Natural Eye Palette ( I usually just use one of the lighter colors all over my lids)

How was your weekend? Hope it didn't involve any wild horses.

Toodles!

Skin Deep

It's a known fact that women spend countless hours and money in primping themselves to be as flawless as their Photoshopped pictures on Facebook. If you think about it, women spend too much money on make-up alone... and that "natural look" that they're going for? That's really the result of a concoction of primer, concealer, color corrector, foundation, luminizer, blush, setting powder, mascara, eyeliner, eye brow pencil, lipstick and lip gloss. I know some people who painstakingly put all this stuff on their face as early as 5AM in the morning... EVERYDAY. At 5am, I'd still be drooling on my pillow, dreaming about being able to  spend the whole day at the buffet in Vegas.

As much as I adore make-up and how it can easily transform you to the va-va-voom version of yourself, or an underpaid hooker (depends on the mood you're in that day)..there's nothing better than looking great WITHOUT IT. Nobody wants a coyote ugly and you definitely don't want to be at the receiving end of that statement. To simply put it, make-up on your face should look like paint on a fresh, blank canvass. So instead of investing a lot on camouflaging your blemishes and look like you just got slapped with a sack of flour, you might as well invest in taking care of your skin.

For years, I've had tons of friends (men and women) asking me on how I take care of my skin and what involves in my skin regimen. I've tried different brands such as Clinique, L'Occitane, Kiehl's and even the ever famous La Mer. As much as they were really good products, my skin didn't really look and feel like I hoped it would be..

Until..

I totally swear by this skin care brand. SK-II pretty much markets their product line based on the most important ingredient which they call Pitera, a naturally-derived liquid from a unique yeast fermentation process. I love all of their products but these are the ones that I cannot live without:

Facial Treatment Essence - The consistency of this liquid is just like water. I put only a couple of drops on my palm and pat it on my face. The skin absorbs it quickly and it leaves my skin soft. I think that this is what really makes the difference.If you travel a lot, the essence can help your skin cope with the changing climate and lock moisture in without leaving your face either oily or dry.

Facial Treatment Lotion - It's a great toner and what's even better is that it's ALCOHOL-FREE. You won't feel that dry, tight feeling that you get from other toners that do contain alcohol.

Skin Signature Cream and Eye Cream - By far, the Signature Cream is still my top pick for my daily moisturizer. La Mer couldn't stand a chance with this one, at least for the moisturizer. The texture is light-weight, it's fast-absorbing and a jar could last you probably 6 months or more. On the other hand, the eye cream is good but my under eyes are still having issues so I don't know if it's just my stubborn genes or maybe I just haven't found the eye cream of my dreams. Although maybe lack of sleep contributes a lot to my problematic under eyes..(no shh, Sherlock)

Facial Treatment UV Protection - Think Signature cream but with SPF 25. It's amazing how this cream never lets me down, especially when I travel to Asia. I was out and about in Hong Kong in the scorching heat and I didn't get a hint of sun burn..to think I only applied a pea-size amount all over my face for the whole day.

Cellumination Deep Surge EX - I use this to help tone and prevent my skin from showing my real age. I'm in my last year of my 20's and these pesky dark spots are popping out of nowhere like gophers, except that gophers are annoyingly cute.

I do have good news for the boytoys out there! SK-II just recently launched their skincare line for MEN!

I don't mind Miguel's scruffy face when he skips shaving for two days but it wouldn't hurt to try these out... who knows, it might make him look like Keanu Reeves (A Walk in the Clouds or Speed era). Here's to wishful thinking, anyway.

Image by http://beautiful-pics.org

Hotter than Tabasco sauce. Yes, you are.  

Okay so before I get distracted again by hot boys...

Here's a little background about my skin:

- I have Normal to Dry skin.

- I only get to sleep an average of 6 hours a day.

- I'm not a very healthy eater. Unfortunately, I consume alot of fast food and processed food (I do eat veggies when available..meaning, if someone else is cooking. Ha!)

- I don't take in internal skin supplements. (I think I should really start doing so. I'm pushing 30 and my skin ain't like a baby's bottom no more)

- I have direct contact to sun light around 50 mins. everyday (walking my dog in the morning) with sunscreen.

- I only have facials probably once or twice a year (when I visit the Philippines) or when I get the chance to go to my dermatologist here in LA (costs a leg, an arm and one of my  kidneys)

After about 3.5- 4 years of using SK-II, this is how my face looks like without any trace of make-up, (no Photoshop either)

It's not flawless, no. But it's not bad at all considering the lifestyle that I have. I'm practically finishing this blog at 2:00 AM.. tee-hee! ;p

*Please note that I'm not a dermatologist nor a beauty expert. All the products that I review are from first-hand, personal experience. I do have a lot more amazing products to share and talk about but no matter what brand you use, don't forget to exfoliate at least once a week and remember that you can never use too much SUNCREEN, SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN! =)

P.S. I get my SK-II stash from Saks Fifth Avenue. http://www.saksfifthavenue.com and they have it available in Bloomingdale's as well. =)

Who Wears Short Shorts?

The sudden gush of love is finally over and we're back to serious business. Spring is about to meet it's end and summer is showing off some heat in my side of the world, which brings me to the topic of why I do fear the summer season.

The scorching heat (plus humidity in tropical countries) is the culprit of all things evil. It gets people cranky, sweaty and not to mention, STINKY. Like wow-you-need-to-bathe-in-muriatic-acid-to-get-that-stink-off STINKY. Like did-you-use-garlic-and-onion-and-dog-poop-as-your-deodorant STINKY. I think it's safe to say that you guys kinda get the idea of what level of stink I'm talking about.

Unfortunately, the sweet stench of summer is the least of our problems. Summer brings out the freedom in people. They throw their cares away, put their hair down and just be care-free... but there lies the problem.

Maybe we've had too much for the holidays and never got to burn the lard we consumed but hey! It's hot, it's the summer time and we wanna have fun and show everyone what our mama's gave us. Let's wear some shorts... not only regular shorts... but the shortest shorts to show all that cottage cheese and saggy butt cheeks.

via heatworld.com

Ladies, PLEASE! Por favor! Cheeky shorts is just NOT ATTRACTIVE. This only works with supermodels who have been photoshopped. And while I am on the subject of legs, I myself, am struggling with the fact that I cannot see how the back of my thighs look like. Maybe you've just been sitting too much on the couch and haven't worked out. Maybe you've just been letting yourself go..but that is why we have siblings, boyfriends and bestfriends..to tell us that it's getting a little lumpy on the backside or we are developing what I simply call COTTAGE CHEESE. If you just want to be a  smart ass, it's properly referred to as CELLULITE. Still don't get it? Go to the fridge, get some cottage cheese then put them side by side with your legs and if you can't tell 'em apart then... well...

First thing to do is to not panic, keep calm and put that sour cream-flavored chip down because apparently, that chip is not only going straight to your hiney, it's spreading to your legs too.

Is there a remedy? Yes. Maybe. It might not work for everyone but it did help my legs stay cottage cheese-free.

Bliss Fat Girl Slim Firming Cream

According to Bliss' Fatgirlslim's packaging, it:

• energizes the skin

• stimulates skin surface to firm and contour with caffeine

• visibly reduces the appearance of excess fluid retention in skin layers

I tried this out since it had good reviews and had a decent price as well. I think this product works if you are active enough. It's no miracle cream, it won't do anything if you're not ACTUALLY doing something like leg exercises, etc. If you work out, it'll help you boost and tone whichever area you need that little extra oomph.

If money is not an issue,  here are other toning/smoothing creams that I have tested and they get the job done as well:

Clarins High Definition Body Lift

 

L'Occitane Almond Shaping Delight

Always remember that these products do not permanently solve that cottage cheese problem. They mostly just help lessen the appearance by toning and smoothing the surface of the skin. In short, get your lumpy saggy butt off the couch and walk your dog or play with your kids or run away from a stalker.

*All the products are actually available on Amazon.com. Just click the link on the right side panel of my blog for more info!* (They offer slightly cheaper prices than the regular prices sold in stores)

Don't forget..Cottage cheese belongs to the fridge, not on your thighs!

Now..who's hungry?