December 31, 2012

All the way down: The last for 2012

This will probably my last post for 2012 (unless I can have a great shot of fireworks later).  I wanted to post a mask review and other samples but I ran out of time and I'm still going to clean my stuff and throw all empty containers of what I used up for the last two months which leads me to capture them and show them to you.

For two months here are the items that I emptied:

The Moisturizers
an aloe, shea nut, cranberry and an apple...well at least the lip balm is made of beeswax
You can find my reviews of the products here, here, here and here.  As for the lip balm, well it's already been a year or is it two???  Oh no signs of ageing!!! Anyway I have to already throw it.

For Feet and Legs
one fine, two so~so, three okay
Happy Heels is just fine for me and found something else that delivers the same benefit and feel at a very cheaper price (it's from Watsons and I already used it before).  Strip It didn't strip all my hair in my legs so it's going to the trash or I'll mix a tablespoon of apple cidar vinegar, 2 tablespoons water and 3 tablespoons of sugar with it to make a scrub.  As forTonyMoly well it worked okay and will continue using it's hair removal creams (I bought the for sensitive variant).  Posts for these three can be found here, here and here.

Bath Buddies
etude, snoe, the body shop, etude
Etude House, did you know your SA here are so confusing?  The SA who assisted me when I bought the Petit Bijou said it will be discontinued.  That was 6 months ago, but a month ago I saw sets in one of your store?  Anyways, did everything to empty the Happy Essential Foam because; due to mishandling, the smell of it turned a little funny so I have to consume it rapido!!! Here, here, here and here for the reviews.

That's a lot!!!  Hope that I will continue with this blog for 2012.  I have a lot of setbacks this 2012 even if I just started blogging.  There are times that I would just like to stop especially when my rating skyrockeeted to top 100 then fall six feet underground to 500 and do other interesting stuff but because of some nice comments and all the products that are just laying around all over my room I decided to continue.  I'll just stop when there's nothing more to review so 2013 be good to me!

Thanks to all my readers and hope that you will still continue to read and support The Certified Latebloomer!

Have a fun, safe and bonggang (outlandish/lavish/extravagant...just think extreme happiness) New Year!!!

December 29, 2012

Holiday Hauls

It's the time of the year where shoppers have the right to splurge.  Well, a little on my part since I'm on a budget so the items that I got are either affordable or on sale.

So aside from peppermint candy canes (so addicting!) I got the following:

Amazon online
Got an XOXO watch and a toy camera.  Don't have a picture of the camera because it's still in transit.  It's with my brother actually, he's the one who ordered it for me (he said he'll probably just give it as a present hehehe)
classic looking XOXO watch para sa tumatandang ako 

Superheadz, looking really cute
photo from amazon.com
Cheap Finds
Got my first Baby Lips which is on sale.  And 2 Shoes for P399!  Well, they are not that durable especially on a rainy day but I'd rather go to work with these on than slippers.  Will just probably wear the shoes that I store in my ped in the office.
Maybelline Baby Lips

2 pairs of Solemate
Payless
2 shoes from Payless.  The other one which is not in the picture is glittery while the one below is my first ever 4 inches takong (heels).  Need to practice how to walk with the shoes on!
Payless!!!
Re-Stock
Finally, Aloe Vera Gel in the house.  Despite the price hike, I have to admit that my skin love it.  Will probably hoard the next time the boutiques of Nature Republic here will go on sale.  Got these two + a freebie from an online seller
I'm getting ready for the heat of the summer
The Body Shop
I can't resist the boxed set and the body polish limited editions, grrrrr!!!.  Kaasar, expect some posts on the body polish on the first quarter of 2013!
know what's inside? hint: color violet
I want to sparkle and feel the joy and bliss of these body polishes!
Wheew done a lot of cropping in this post.  Till Next time.

Happy Holidays!  Let's welcome the New Year with a bang!

December 23, 2012

Happy Christmas!

My glittery shoes reminded me to greet everyone a Happy and meaningful Christmas before going home to celebrate the occasion with my whole family!

Happy holidays everyone : )

December 20, 2012

TONYMOLY Fresh Aqua Water Drop Serum

Ever since I heard about the 5 korean skincare regimen, I started to be really curious with the serum.  It's very new music to my ears.  SO when TonyMoly announced their 50% off sale last September, serum is number one in my to buy list.
Fresh Aqua Water Drop Serum
Original Price is P948 for 50ml
Too bad every specification in the box is in korean and I couldn't find the product in any TonyMoly website (maybe this will be discontinued).  So without any idea as to what it can do, I started to use it reguarly; day and night, for 3 months now.
And here's the serum.  Milky in color.  Gel like texture
The smell of this serum is something that is hard to describe: it smells clean but becomes odorless once spread unto the skin.  It's milky white in color and has a gel consistency that melts and turn into something watery once spread/rubbed.

The bottle has a pump though I still keep the serum in it's box to prevent dust and other particles from entering since there is no cap provided.  The bottle looks like it's made of glass but it's actually plastic (almost the same material that is being used to iphones) and it's very simple looking blue and white bottle which is totally okay with me.  But it's not transparent so to monitor the content inside you have to place the bottle in front of a light and you'll see a line which is the end of the pump and that's my indicator as to how much more serum I have.
And here's the pump of the bottle
So I use this serum day and night after toning my clean face.  I use around 2 to 3 pumps per application.  I don't directly put it in my face, I first spread it in my palm then pat it on my face, this way it will make the spreading of the serum more even (and fast too) and at the same time prevents me from doing unnecessary tugging and pulling of my face (which will somehow help in preventing lines and wrinkles).  Because of it's watery consistency, my skin absorbs the serum quickly but I let a minute or two to past before I apply another layer of product.
Turns watery once spread or rub
Instant result after just one night:  My skin becomes softer and smoother than before.
After a week:  Pores become smaller.
After a month:  Skintone becomes more even than before, softer and smother skin.  Pores become smaller (my sister noticed it too) my face is also glowing a little).

After a month there's no further improvement/effect that I noticed from my face so continued use of the serum is more of a maintenance.  My pores generally have become smaller though I need a stronger serum that targets large pores for my cheeks:  my pores in the cheeks area becomes smaller but still noticeable and bigger compared to the other area of my face.

Thanks for reading.  Till then.  Bye!

Sunset Photos

Just want to share some sunset photos that I took this week.  Never know the reason behind my fascination with clouds and sunset, they're just dreamy, intense and sad at the same time.  In short, sunset and clouds for me are dramatic.

sunset clouds
my first  time to capture the outline of the sun this big
My camera is just GEX500.  Took the photo under sunset setting. Crop a little then re-sized for easy upload.

On Serum

photo from katasher.com
Serum is a thick liquid-like product that targets the deeper layers of the skin which regular moisturizers are unable to reach.  It's a beauty product that has an active ingredients to target specific skin problem like wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots and dullness and some serums also promises to prevent acnes.

In choosing a facial serum, keep in mind the skin type and complexion of your skin and the effect you wanted to achieve or the issues that you want to address or prevent.  For example, look for a serum that has a Vitamin C as it's key ingredient when you are after an anti-aging effect as Vitamin c helps in fighting free radicals from our environment.  For hydration, it's best to have a serum with hyaluronic acid as it helps in moisturizing and improving the elasticity of the skin.

The serum for your skin greatly depends on what your skin needs.

Now let's go to how to apply serum.  Actually it's more of how I apply a serum.  I start with a freshly clean face.  After toning, I quickly spread 2 to 3 pumps or pea size serum to my palms then pat it to my face and neck.  pat a little more to help my skin absorb the serum faster and at the same time provide a light massage to my face.  Then to completely seal the serum, I top with with a moisturizer.  I have dry to very dry skin type so I still need moisturizer to fully hydrate my skin but based on my readings, you can skip to apply the moisturizer.

Here some links/sites that may help you in knowing what serum is best for you but of your course nothing beats your dermatologists

About.com -http://skincare.about.com/od/extraskincaresteps/f/SerumFAQ.htm
wiseGeek.com -http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-face-serum.htm
APIVITA -http://www.apivita.com/new/natural-serum/

December 19, 2012

Cake Pops!

Oh sweets, they make my heart melt and I wanted to create them with my own hands.  I started baking some cupcakes and it's...well okay except for the color since I used brown sugar instead of white.  Anyway, I have a lot leftover butter frosting and so I decide to make cake pops.
White Cake Pops with chocolate drizzle for texture
Here's what I used for the cake pops
1 whole chiffon cake (store bought ~teehee~)
1 cup butter frosting (for binding the cake)
4 cups chocolate chips + 4 tablespoons of canola oil for coating

Using my hands, I crushed the cake into small pieces.  Added the frosting then mixed making sure that every bit of the cake is coated.  Take around 2 tablespoon of the cake then form into balls.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (for better taste, cover the cake balls).

For the coating, I just mixed the chocolate chips and oil then pop it into the microwave for 45 seconds.

Next, assemble:  I can't find any plastic sticks so I used bamboo skewers instead (but I think this is not really necessary).  Dip the stick to the melted chocolate before inserting it to the cake ball then dip the whole cake ball and poof you have a cake pop!  Just remove the excess coating by tilting left and right then let it dry.  It's up to you if you want to add designs and embellishment.
cute or creepy?
The pink particles are chocolate + cheese.  Yep, I experimented a little J

Thanks for reading.  Till then.  Bye!

Holiday Food/Drink Favorites

It's December, it's holiday and it's time to eat a lot!!!  Diet is not an excuse.  Here are some of my favorites that can't get out of my head (and belly!)

Peppermint Attack
I love food with peppermint although many find it weird.  It's just refreshing and minty with just the right sugar (although I know it's made out of lots of sugar!)These candy canes are not just yummy but they look festive too with the colors of Christmas of green and red.
bought it from Candy Corner
Another Limited Edition from Mogu Mogu (why are the products nowadays have limited edition printed on it? great marketing strategy by the way!).  This drink has strawberry flavor with Nata de Coco so it's refreshing and filling at the same time.
Mogu Mogu Strawberry Juice a product of Thailand
And look how cute the cap is.  Kyot kyot talaga!
cute cap with my spare glasses
Any favorite you wanted to share?

Thanks for reading.  Till then.  Bye!

December 18, 2012

The Body Shop Cranberry Joy

As early as the third of November, I already want to feel Christmas.  So aside from shopping ( both actual and window shopping), I also use products that are "limited" for the season and opened the cute boxed set of The Body Shop' Cranberry Joy.
Cranberry Joy Set
The set includes a shower gel, body butter and a  bath lily in red.  The box too is in red with golden snowflakes printed all over.
60ml (2.0 US FL OZ)
Cranberry Joy Shower Gel
Well, I've never seen or smell a real cranberry but the smell of Cranberry Joy shower gel reminds me of a four season drink: maybe remove the guava part and replaced it with cranberry?  Not sure, but it does really remind me of a four season drink that is more dramatic/succulent rather than fruity.  It lathers really well especially when used with a bath lily/body sponge and amazingly makes my skin a little silkier and smoother.
50 ml (1.6 OZ, 48g
Cranberry Joy Body Butter
Cranberry Joy body butter is like a soft-served strawberry ice cream that melts in my skin! (no joke whatsoever).  It makes my skin instantly soft and silky and I don't why or what's the reason behind the small miracle.  Anyway, reapplication is needed when in a cold place because it's moisturization effect is lighter than the olive or shea body butter.  The smell of this one is like of a strawberry jam (I thought of Baguio when I first opened this): sweet, citrusy but with a little bit of rum.  The scent lingers on my skin and maybe a bit weird the first few days that I used it but I begun to be accustomed with it's smell and love it now.

I love this shower gel and body butter and since it's in a christmas-sy box, I think it's a perfect gift to give to a person who loves bath and moisture (like me) though I think it's a little pricey (I actually did my best to convince my friend to buy too so we can get another set for free).  Another thing to love is that they are in smaller versions so I don't have to spend a lot just for the joy of sampling The Body Shop's christmas limited edition products.

Thanks for reading.  Till then.  Bye!

Crafty Hands!

I don't know why or how I got into this but I'm tying, knotting, crocheting some threads to make bracelets. Honestly, I don't wear most of my "creation" (ahahaha) but just in case you are interested in making your own accessories, here's some sites that I find really helpful in making diys.

ISPYDIY have lots of DIY accessories.  I made a bracelet with the inspiration below but have to improvise for lack of materials.  Too bad our neiborhood is not craft friendly.



photo from ISPYDIY

photo from ISPYDIY
And have to use safety pins to almost all the bracelets that I make.  Some may find it silly but it's quite cute if you ask me :)
photo from Life After breakfast
Life After Breakfast is another site with lots of craft inspiration.  The picture above specifically attracted my attention and have to research on how to do it which leads me to Lebenslustiger.com

photo from Lebenlustiger.com
Be inspired!  Enjoy crafting.

Thanks for reading.  Till then.  Bye!

December 17, 2012

Not just goodies: It's Sample Room Goodies!

Ohhh, I love popping bubble wraps.  It's a simple pleasure that i enjoy.  And when there's bubble wraps, there's a package that contains goodies.  And the package that I received last December 14, 2012 (very specific hehehe) is extra special because it's from Sample Room.
So thoughtful of Sample Room to put it in a very nice paper bag and the products are bubble wrapped
Love the details!
I'm so surprised to have my package right in my doorstep because I ordered the items December 13, 2012. So so so fasr and the reason why it's special because I only paid the delivery charge of P100 and got 2 full size product for ...FREE!!!!
Thank you Celeteque!
I actually wanted the Kielhs' and Shu Uemura but who's complaining when I got the products up there for free?

Thanks for reading.  Till then.  Bye!

I'm Back

I'm back!  I know nobody misses me but I'm back, chocnut!  Reasons for the absence?  Disappearance of a computer to use and haggardness for daily posting.  I want to do blogging on a daily basis but my chubby body can't do it.  Oh well, here's what I've been up to lately.
top photo from A Beautiful Mess
bottom photo from The Fat Kid Inside
I love sweets; cakes and pastries, so I'm trying to bake some goodies for myself and my family and started with vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting then cakepops.  A little modification to the  ingredients and some more tool and the two will be perfect.  As per the cooking, well my chef brother is currently not present in the house so I'll do a lot of the cooking, I'm looking some recipes in The Fat Kid Inside and Ang Sarap.
top photo from A Beautiful Mess
bottom photo from Twinings
Tea, a substitute to my coffee since coffee can't maker me sleep (I love coffee but I guess the feeling is not mutual).  It's weird at first when I drink a hot cup of tea since I'm used to cold Milk Tea and Iced Tea but I begun to love it and is now looking for different kinds of tea.

Because of the planner, I'm now spending a little more just to get a stamp.  One more to go and freedom,i mean planner will be mine. Since I'm avoiding to drink coffee (as much as possible), I tried Double Chocolate which is super chocolatey but have to drop the whip cream next time and Matcha Green Tea Swirl which I think many will not like at first.  It's like eating grass with milk but I still like it! Yummy!