March 2014 Playlist: Scour not Sour

I will not be thematic this month and I actually don't know why for the past two months I'm being thematic.  My playlist this March is just about everything that I'm scouring over the net (mostly youtube) about artist that I heard either from the radio or from the background song of a youtuber.

But first, let's talk a little about Birdy.

source

I first fell in love with Wings then Skinny Love and now Words as Weapons, Jasmine van den Bogaerde's voice has just the right deep and raspiness that gives so much soul to her songs.  To know more about her, just go to officialbirdy.com.  I'm looking for the reason why she's called Birdy, know why?

Continuing with the playlist, here's the 10 songs that I've been listening this March

Shangri-La, Lola Blanc
Blame Michelle for this ahahaha but it's a really fun song and it reminds me of the earlier songs of Avril Lavigne

Sleeping With A Friend, Neon Tress
Mutual understanding but unofficial?  I'm no expert with love so I'm also confuse.

Gold Gun Girls, Metric
I really regret that I didn't go to their concert last year.  Shame on me, shame on me!!!

Cool Kids, Ecosmith
It's hard to be yourself when fitting in a crowd that is definitely out of your league.  I also want to be a cool kid in my own way.

Taro, Alt-J
Bravo Alt-J! Okay to be honest, there are times that I don't exactly know the meaning of their lyrics but I can relate at the melody of their songs.

Space Oddity, David Bowie
Of pure bravery, bow.  Thanks to the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, I found this song.  Now I know why David Bowie is a common influence to the bands I listened to.

Silent Treatment, The Joy Formidable
I feel a calming feeling with this song and I don't know why. "I’ll take the easy sequence.  Less people, more freedom"

Same Love, Maclemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Mary Lambert
Equality, love know no bounderies.


Lonely Boy, Black Keys
I find this really catchy.  A love that keep him waiting, what a lonely boy.  Watch the video :)

On Top of the World, Imagine Dragons
No comment :)

Enjoy the music!

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

March 2014: Let It Go

In other countries, spring is welcomed with spring cleaning but since there's no spring here in my country (only rainy days and summer days), our family usually do the "spring cleaning" few days before or after New Year and I think I throw/donate/giveaway around 4 big bags of clothes, shoes and other stuff and yet it seems that I still have more so I decided to get rid of some more stuff this month.

goodbye my lovers

Old school, I know but I just like to read with an actual book...it's more fun for me.  Plus I also take extra good care of my books, I don't want any dog ear and I'm trying my best for them not to have crease on their "backbones".  I dreamed (and still dreaming) to have my own place with a cozy library but reality check, I don't even have my own room now and I'm running out of storage space so these seven books that I haven't read for a year must go.  Luckily my niece adopted them :)

empties

Of course I have to throw containers that are already empty even if the snail and the glass bottle and jar looks cute.  Lucky for me, I blogged all my empties this month:  Missha Super Aqua Deep Hydro Cream, The Saem Snail Lavender Sleeping Pack, Egyptian Magic Cream, Moringa O2 Malunggay Therapy Oil and Etude House Moistfull Collagen Emulsion.

I really don't use them anymore

To have more space I just have to throw these products.  Such a waste but I just don't use them anymore.  You can check my post about the Asian Secrets Lulur Body Scrub, Olay Regenerist Cleanser and Lorys Deep Moisturizing Hair Cream here.

I'm not a sun screen/sun cream and a lip gloss person so I just can't consume even the The FaceShop mini lipgloss and the SkinFood Carrot Sun Cream sample and I'm pretty sure they are now expired.

tools

And lastly, I have to throw these tools.  The pink one with an almost heart shape head is a hair curler that gives a nice almost-beach-waves.  My hair is always layered so I have a hard time using these curlers and then after like a week of buying them I cut my hair short and my hair is short forever and ever :P
Same goes with the bun maker.  And the other pink in the photo is the Epilette which is as harsh as shaving the legs period.

When was the last time you clean your closet?

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

DIY: Green Tea Scrub

I feel that it's such a waste to jsut throw the green tea bags that I use after just steeping it once.  I thought that the leaves are not too big and not too small (and wouldn't be too harsh) to use as scrub so I searched for a DIY recipe and found what I'm looking for at Bubz youtube channel.

I wanted to make mine a bit more pastey so it can also act like a mask.  Here's my version of Green Tea Scrub and Mask that I use all over my body.

Ingredients:
2-3 bags of used green tea, remove excess water (which acts as the scrub)
1 tbsp honey (for softening the skin)
1 and 1/2 tbsp rice flour (for skin brightening)

How to:
1.  Mix the tea leaves and honey in a clean small container.
2.  Add the rice flour until everything is smooth.

Just scrub the mixture on your face and all over the body and let it set for at least 5 minutes.  This will gently remove dead skin cells and will soften the skin instantly.  The brightening part is only noticeable after like a month of constant use (twice a week).

If you plan to use unused green tea bag, I suggest to add 1/2 teaspoon of milk to moisten the leaves or just add more honey to the mixture.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

They Hate Me = I Hate Them: Drugstore Products That Just Won't Work

Well, for me.  Some of the products here works okay with other people but it seems like my skin and scalp are brats these days that the most behaved part of my body is surprisingly my face.

Affordable and readily available are two major characteristics why I always roam around department or grocery stores.  Most of the time, the products that I buy works just fine but in this batch, everything seems bad to me.

Asian Secrets Lulur Body Scrub with Seaweed Extract and Vitamin E - P137 (around $3.20)
Surprise?  I know there are a lot of gals loving this scrub but it did a great deal of a damage to my skin.  After using this twice, I find myself scratching every part of my body and small itchy reddish bumps (like acne/pimples) started to appear.  There are three probable reasons for this shocking effect:  first is that the whitening ingredient in this scrub is just too much for my skin, second is probably an allergic reaction to the seaweed extract and third might be because of the small beads; polyethelene (a type of plastic), that acts as the scrub irritated my skin.

Olay Regenerist Cleanser - deluxe sample from the Olay Regenerist Specialty Cleanser Set
This one also has polyethelene that after just using it for a day, a few numbers of mini bumps appeared on my face.  I gave it another chance after a week but the result is still the same.  I also hate how this one smells like plastic.

Lorys Deep Moisturizing Hair Cream - P185 (around $4.30)
It's great that this hair mask can be use as an intensive mask and an everyday conditioner.  A week has passed of using it and my hair still feel damaged and became stiffer (but a bit straighter) than before.  I thought I can live with it and maybe after a few more weeks my hair would finally be less damaged and moisturized.  Rather, I found myself scratching my scalp intensively after some days so I finally gave up and decided to kick this hair mask out of the shower.

Essence Mosaic Compact Powder - P229 (around $5.30)
My first ever compact that I should have a bit of some kind of sentimental feeling with it but I find this too glittery.  I'm aware that there are parts of this compact that have glitters on it but when I swatched it before purchasing, the glitters look subtle, sheen and nice.  For the first few swirls, this compact actually looks good but as I swirl deeper, I find the glitters getting bigger (which I hate) and it also started to make my face itchy.  I heard a lot of good thing about Essence's translucent powder though which is what I planned to buy in the first place but it was (and still) out of stock.

Common denominator of these products: making me itchy!

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

Innisfree It's Real Sheet Masks in Acai, Adlay and Bamboo

I'm on the last three of the many sheet masks that I have from Innisfree and so far, the rice variant is still my favorite.  However, these three are good enough that if ever someone asks me what brand of sheet masks would I recommend that is affordable, I would definitely say Innisfree.  I'm hearing that My Beauty Diary and Leaders Insolution are the best and I haven't tried them but they are much pricier than Innisfree.

Innisfree It's Real Mask in Acai Berry, Adlay and Bamboo
got them for P35 each/around $.80

These three masks are surprisingly do not have much of the alcohol smell and do not have sticky and heavy feeling when the sheet is removed from the skin that I've been complaining with most of the Innisfree masks that I tried.

It's Real Acai Berry is the most moisturizing and nourishing among this three and is probably the lighter version of the rice variant.  It has this fruity lovely smell that I just love and the milky essence just sinks in to my skin.  For those with combi to normal skin (the rice variant is still the best for those with dry skin type in my opinion but this will be perfect on summer hot days) type of skin that wanted a nice moisturization and a little nourishing, brightening and moist effect, I think you'll like this.

It's Real Adlay has this clean and crisp smell with a clear a bit oily but not too heavy essence.  This one is more on the softening of the skin side rather than moisturization.  Again more recommended to those with combi to dry skin type.  Don't worry oily skin type peeps, I think bamboo is the variant for you.

It's Real Bamboo weirds me at first but looking into all the masks that I tried, it immediately dawns into me that it's not weird at all (snail, bee, snake are much weirder right?).  This one has the lightest essence, smell and it's definitely not heavy...it's like it has moisturizing water that refreshes the skin so it makes me think that it's perfect for those with oily skin.

In my last Innisfree masks post, I said I would try to find the meaning of the color of the circles in the packaging of the mask sheets right?  Well, I run out of luck and couldn't find it no matter what I do but www.yesstyle.com seem to have most of the description of Innisfree masks (no I'm not paid or is affiliated to yesstyle to mention the site here, it is just where I found the description of these masks).

So far, the Rice variant is still the best that I tried second would be the Acai Berry and the least would have to be Lemonlime.

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

March 2014 Haul: Make-up is Starting to Invade Me

There's probably a time in every girl's life that suddenly she wake's up and remembered that she's a girl and make-up must be present in her cabinet.

A little late but due to youtube, blogs, pressure and a little pondering, I decided that make-up must enter my life.  Don't worry, this haul is not purely make-up items but a blush, eyeshadows, and brushes are already overwhelming for me that I decided to make a little intro about make-up.

The Saem On The Blackhead Volcanic Steam Gel Cleaner P260/around $6
Missha The Style Mono Touch CBE01 P150/around  $3.50
Missha The Style Triple Perfection Shadow P160/around $3.70

My sister said the eyeshadows that I got are too small (they are just about thumb size) but for a beginner and a not-so-into-make-up like me, these are just perfect and I guess I can hit pan them before they expire.  Also got a gel cleaner from The Saem because my blackheads are just so stubborn.  The sachets are freebies, I actually got some cookies and fudge bar too as a freebie but immediately ate them.  I ordered these plus the socks below from Bae Lu.

Assorted Socks at P60/around $1.50

Cute! I decided to get these quirky socks because my normal black and gray socks are always missing.  Look how cool the bunny with mustache is!

Next are stuff from Trinoma.  I got the Ellana Lip & Cheek Cream Color in Strawberry Red in Crossings and so far loving it because the color looks natural plus it stays for almost the whole day.  The brushes are from Landmark:  the brow liner brush is okay but I'm impressed with the kabuki brush because it's dense and soft and didn't bleed when I washed it.

Artist Studio Angled Brow Liner Brush P49.75/around $1.20
Noconi Kabuki Brush P144.75/around $3.30
Ellana Lip & Cheek Cream Color P250/around $5.80

Some random stuff that I got from Landmark are these powder container where I put the mineral foundation that I got from Ellana and a set of cord holder with owl design.  I also can't resist not to get some tea from the grocery (my new obsession I guess?).

Powder Container P39.75/around $95
Cord Holder P49.75/around $1.15

Celestial Sleeptime P70
The Coffee Bean English Breakfast P179.30
Stash Decaf Tea Chai Spice P151.20

A strainer for baking purposes only and a tea pot for the green tea that I got from China Town.  They look good and seems durable.  And lastly a glass jar that I got from SM, again for the green tea leaves.

Round Strainer around P30/around $.70
Stainless Steel Pot P209.75/$4.90

Hosh Elvaston Glass Jar P79.75/around $1.90

That's all!  I hope I'll buy less stuff next month.

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

Missha Super Aqua Deep Hydro Cream

Missha Super Aqua Deep Hydro Cream has been (and still up to the end of the month) my moisturizer since December.  It's seems like a usual moisturizer when the temperature is cold but since the weather is becoming warmer, I can feel its "deepness".

Missha Super Aqua Deep Hydro Cream
50ml
Regular price ranges from $10.50 to $17
Website/Links:  Missha US website/ GMarket Missha/ Missha Philippines facebook page

This cream is like a combination of the usual cream with a bit of gel texture to it.  Since it's "hydro", it's not surprising that there are different kinds of water in it.

Here's the description from Missha US website plus check the link also for the list of ingredients

"The Super Aqua Deep Hydro Cream is a thick cream that creates a strong moisture shield to prevent skin dryness and to maintain smooth, moist skin.

Contains vitamin and mineral rich Ice Plant Water for extra hydration and intensive care.

Ice Plant Water is full of minerals that your skin needs, such as Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin A, B5, C, K, etc.

Also contains Blue Lagoon Water, Mineral Water, and Damask Rose Water to provide hydration with a feeling of freshness.

The Active Water System effectively absorbs and helps maintain the moisture in skin."

True, this cream is thick which is perfect for those that are in places with cold weather or those with very dry skin type that needs deep moisturization.  It locks in the moisture throughout the day or night without any re-application and my face also look moist.

Although it's thick, it's not super heavy to the skin especially when the weather is under 25 degrees Celsius but now that in the Philippines, the temperature is hitting 30 degrees Celsius I only use it at night since I find that my face is looking oily when I use this cream during daytime.  I guess the Super Aqua Water Supply Cream (which is the lighter version) is more suitable during summertime or for those with combi/normal skin type or even for those with oily skin type who wants deep moisturization as it is oil free and it claims that it moisturizes without the shine and greasiness.

hit pan!

Missha Super Aqua Deep Hydro Cream is a simple and straight forward cream that provides total hydration without so much heaviness and thickness plus the smell is refreshing and is not so heavy.  So far I'm loving the Super Aqua line from Missha and I'm impressed with the Super Aqua Water Supply Essence which made me get the basic set that includes this cream, a toner and an emulsion.  I'm going to use the emulsion during the summertime as a replacement for this cream  so don't be surprise if you read another super aqua post from this blog.

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

It got some Magic in it! Egyptian Magic Cream

Curious that a balm with all natural yet simple ingredients can wow and is said to be adored by the likes of Madonna, Oprah, and Kate Hudson. Does Egyptian Magic Cream really has magic?

Egyptian Magic Cream

All Purpose Skin Cream by Yumeimi-se

20ml

comes in 5ml at P195/ 20ml at P695/ 4oz at P2800

Website/Links:   ilovekb.com/KB Skin Whitening facebook page/ Egyptian Magic Cream Philippines facebook page 

Egyptian Magic Cream is Ancient Kamitian's (Egyptian) secret cream that great sages, mystics, magicians and healers use to maintain radiant, healthy, smooth and glowing skin.

Here's the complete description that is in the packaging:

"Peace, divine love, perfect health, eternal wisdom and infinite blessings unto you, Precious one.  Ancient Kamitian (Egyptian) folklore recalls a miraculous skin cream, a secret of the sages, mystics, magicians and healers, use to maintain radiant, healthy, smooth and glowing skin."

Magically this cream (more like a balm to me) has no synthetic preservatives or synthetic fragrance added and is compose of olive oil, beeswax, honey, bee pollen, royal jelly and propolis extract.  Crazy, I just can't believe that the ingredients are all natural and it made a lot of improvement into my skin's condition.

ingredients

Egyptian Magic Cream can treat skin problems like eczema, acne, psoriasis, rosacea, and rashes and can also be use in scars and blemishes, dry lips and dry skin in general.

I have dry, sensitive, itchy and sometimes scaly skin.  I also have lots of scars and bumps or mounts from the wounds that I have from my allergies specially on my legs and wounds (because I always scratch and these scratches turns into wounds, crazy right?) and some rashes at the back of my knees and this cream helped me fight all of this skin craziness.  Here's my before and after photo of my leg from my KB DermAffirm Vitamin C Peeling Gel post:

Together with the KB DermAffirm Vitamin C Peeling Gel, Egyptian Magic Cream lighten my scars and it also helped in healing my wounds.  My legs are much smoother and less bumpy now ahahaha and of course well moisturize that I don't find myself scratching that often.  I also use this cream on other parts of my body like my elbows, knees and my face especially when it's extra dry and wanted a deep moisturization or if I'm just lazy to go over my skincare routine and I don't encounter any problem the day after like breakouts or redness.

it's a cream but it looks like a balm

Can you believe that a 20ml product lasted me a month to finish.  That's because 2 pea size of Egyptian Magic Cream is enough to cover a leg.  To use, it is necessary to rub the product in your palms until it turns into a thick oil then apply it to your skin, better if you massage it for faster absorption.  If you apply the cream as is, it will just seat on top of the skin and it will be sticky.  If time is the problem because you're in a hurry in the morning, then just apply the cream before you go to bed...the massaging will help to relax your muscles too and you do not have to worry that the cream will turn sticky since you don't do too much activity when you're sleeping.

Egyptian Magic Cream helped my skin a lot and I badly wanted to get the 4oz tub but a bit concern with the thousand price tag so my mind is battling right now because it just beats the lotion, body butter and other creams that I tried before!  Maybe I'll just get the 20ml tub (and thank you Yumeimi-se for making the cream available in smaller quantity) every now and then so that I'll not be heavy on the pocket.  It's my skin that we are talking about here (which is the largest organ in my body) so might as well spend a bit more on it's well being.  Right?

*The Egyptian Magic Cream was sent to me by KB for review.  My views stated here was based on the results after a month of using the product.  Even if I got the product for free, I still review like before.  The only difference is that I always mention the name of the product and link it to the sender's website :) a simple gesture of my thanks

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

KB DermAfirm Vitamin C Peeling Gel

There's a misconception about peeling gels or peeling creams that even I hesitated to try them.  Because of the word "peeling", I thought that in due time the gel or cream will literally peel my skin.  But because of curiosity, I finally tried one last 2012 and learned that these products are gommage.

Gommage; usually in a form of gel or cream, is another effective way to exfoliate the skin other than using scrubs.  You put the product on the skin and let it set for a few seconds or until it slightly dries then rub the product around and the gommage will roll up into flakes or tiny soft balls, picking up the dirt and dead skin cells on the outermost layer of the skin.

I became fond of peeling gels/creams, in fact I already tried 4 for the past one and a half year.  The latest is from KB and it's the KB DERMAFIRM Vitamin C Peeling Gel.

KB DermAfirm Vitamin C Peeling Gel
Skin Whitening
100ml
Regular price P1500/ around $35
Website/Links:  www.ilovekb.com/KB Skin Whitening facebook page

made in Korea

According to the packaging (I edited some parts, I'm not that good in english but when I see some errors I try to correct it) KB DERMAFIRM Vitamin C Peeling Gel is a gentle, medicated gel with proven keratin fighting ingredients and a unique combination of skin peeling gel and healers help soothe and protect tender skin.  Contains a Vitamin C derivative, citric seed extract, morus alba extract, persimmon leaf extract complex to provide softness to the skin.  Also contains Betain and natural cellulose complex help your skin adjust your skin through massage.

Okay I didn't understand the last sentence so I just grabbed this additional information from KB Facebook page:

source

Twice a day?  And I thought 3 times a week exfoliation is already too much for the skin.  I have sensitive skin but since this peeling gel is so mild, I decided to just use the product once a day on my legs (because of my scars), elbows, knees and armpits then once a week only for my face since I'm having skin asthma (I don't want to risk).

I use just half pump of the peeling gel on on my face, on my elbows and on my armpits and 2 pumps for each of my legs.  I spread it on my dry skin then after around 10 seconds I start to massage the gel in a circular motion and voila! flakes of dead skin cells is lifted from my skin.  I usually shower after to wash away the dirty gommage/peeling gel.

the simple process of removing dead skin cells

Instantly, KB DERMAFIRM Vitamin C Peeling Gel makes my skin smooth and it does remove dead skin cells, I mean there are times that I forget to use it and on the very next day that apply it on my skin I noticed that the gommage is much darker.  After around a week or two of using it, I started to feel that my elbows and legs are much softer and less dry (take note that I also use the Egyptian Magic Cream).
I will try to increase the usage of this peeling gel on my face since the skin asthma is starting to go away and will update this post if it can really remove under eye circles, wrinkles and dark spots/melasma.

For the whitening part, I don't think a month is enough to totally eradicate scars or will make the skin much whiter but it is slowly; but surely, lightening the scars on my legs.

Below is the photo of my left leg (which will make you understand further why I used KB DERMAFIRM Vitamin C Peeling Gel on my legs on a daily basis rather than on my face).  The before photo was taken a month ago (the weather is gloomy back then that's why the photo is a bit dark but I didn't edit it) and the lightening of my scars is evident in the after photo.

the before and after

If you wanted a mild daily exfoliator that will lighten scars, that has the same technology used in diamond peeling and whiten, smoothen and soften the skin, then you might want to try KB DERMAFIRM Vitamin C Peeling Gel.

*The Egyptian Magic Cream was sent to me by KB for review.  My views stated here was based on the results after a month of using the product.  Even if I got the product for free, I still review like before.  The only difference is that I always mention the name of the product and link it to the sender's website :) a simple gesture of my thanks

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

Angel's Food Cupcakes...well almost!

Angel's Food Cupcake

Even if the frosting still haven't settled, I already put it on the cupcake because I'm very eager to eat like 3 of the above light and fluffy Angel's Food Cupcake.  In my entire life I haven't tasted one until I first baked  them last week of January and then made another batch last last week.

The frosting is a failure though because I can't find a whipping cream in the grocery :(  Decided to try these light cupcakes when I saw Emma's Birthday Cake over A Beautiful Mess.  I do not have a cake pan so why not make them in a cupcake form :)

the ones with toasted top are the best

Angels's Food Cupcake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cake flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
6 egg whites
1 tbsp warm water (you can omit this if you want your cake to be denser)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp cream of tarter

How to:
1.  Sift or dry whick cake flour and half of the sugar 2 to 4 times to make the cake fluffy and airy.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, water, vanilla extract and cream of tartar until wee combined (takes around 2 minutes).
3.  Swith to hand mixer and beat the mixture on medium speed while slowly adding the remaining sugar until medium peaks form.
4.  In 4 to 5 small batches, fold the sifted flour mixture into the meringue using a spatula.
5.  Fill lined cupcake pan with the batter and bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Top the cupcake with a light icing like whipped cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract plus maybe your favorite fruit on top.

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

Beef with Broccoli

Beef + Broccoli

I always thought that making Beef Broccoli or Beef with Broccoli is a hard dish to do but I just realize that my mom doesn't cook it because broccoli is not common in our place; if I remember it right, since I always accompany her in the market and grocery when I was a kid.

Anyway, I first tasted and become a fan of this dish when I was already in college ahahaha.  It seems complicated at first because the recipes online usually have 3 groups of ingredients, but it turns out I can make this dish in less than an hour.

Again, I substituted and omitted some of the ingredients because of ingredient availability.  You can check Panlasang Pinoy or Ang Sarap for the full recipe.

Beef with Broccoli

Ingredients:
Main
1 lb beef sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain or just use beef sukiyaki
2 cups broccoli or more, chopped
3 tbsps cooking oil
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp water (to thickened sauce)
3 cups water (for blanching)

Sauce
2 tbsps oyster sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar (better if you have rice wine)
1 tbsp soy sauce (I use Kikkoman)
1/2 beef cube dissolved in 1/2 cup water (better if you have beef broth on hand)

Marinade
2 tsps soy sauce
2 tsps rice vinegar (better if you have rice wine)
1/2 tsp cornstarch
ground black pepper

How to:
1.  Combine all marinade ingredients then marinate the beef for at least 20 minutes.  Set aside.
2.  Combine all the sauce ingredients.  Set aside.
3.  Boil water and blanch the broccoli for 1 to 2 minutes.  Drain excess water.  Set aside.
4.  Heat up a wok or a frying pan in high heat.  Add oil then saute garlic.
5.  Add the beef and quickly stir fry (around a minute or 2).
6.  Pour in the sauce then bring to boil.
7.  Add broccoli and cook for a minute.
8.  Stir-in cornstarch dissolved in water and cook until the sauce thickens.

Serve with rice and enjoy!

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

Wishlist from Dressale

I was asked by Stephanie of Steph-G.blogspot.com to make a wishlist from Dressale at www.dressale.com.  In real life, I am not the type of person who loves dresses and stilettos.  I also avoid going to parties or occasions that requires me dress up unless there's penalty for not attending involved which enters why I got interested into making this wishlist.

I heard you can't go wrong with a little black dress and that every girl should have at least one in their closet, so that's what I search first in the online shop.  I chose something simple, a bit revealing but conservative at the same and thought that the dress below is just the right dress fro me (Little Black Dress link).

source

I was asked in a tag before what my wedding dress will look like and I freaked out because even if I'm already in the marrying age, I never imagined myself walking down the aisle and tying the knot with someone.  But hey, maybe someday I decided to spend the rest of my life with someone and I will surely needed a wedding dress.  Again, I wanted something simple but is still shouting "I'm a wedding dress" kind of dress.  I think the Pompous Appliqués details looks elegant in the below Princess Wedding Dress (Princess Wedding Dress link).

source

And wouldn't it be nice if my flower girls wear something cute.  The dress below is actually a first communion attire but I can't resist the cuteness (Cute Square Light Blue Sash First Communion Attire link).

source

Enough with the dresses and let's move on with shoes.   I'm a sneakers' girl but working in a corporate world requires me to wear something formal or smart casual outfit and This Gold Tone Pointy Toe flats can be worn in a formal and casual way ( Fashionable Gold-tone Pointy Toe Flats link).

source

And just when I thought that Dressale is all about pretty dresses and accessories and shoes, I found a very good looking candle holder and a beautiful accent lamp that goes well with my imaginary (for now) flat.

Absorbing Iron and Glass Candle Holder will look perfect on my doorway and the Flower Blossom Cylinder Accent Lamp will give a cozy light to my zen inspired living room-bedroom area.

source

source

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

Here Goes the Innisfree Masks Again

Ughh I'm having a terrible headache and the only solution to this sickness is ICE CREAM :P  But sheet masks once in a while is also good.

I just used the rice variant yesterday and my skin looks brighter.  Anyway, here are the 3 Innisfree It's Real Masks that I used this week.

Innisfree It's Real Masks in Lemonlime, Rice and Kiwi

The greatest from this batch is the rice variant which reminds me of the Shiseido White Lucent Power Brightening Mask which is simply amazing but it's out of my budget  so this one from Innisfree is perfect for me.  It has the same milky essence, almost have the same smell and the same effect.

Innisfree It's Real Rice Mask is moisturizing, brightening and makes the skin glowing.  The essence is heavy and a bit oily when I removed the sheet and needs a lot of massaging for my skin to fully absorbed the essence but the extra effort is worth it because I don't need to put the rest of my skincare products and because of the effects that I just mentioned.  Also, this mask has the flap in the eye area as shown in the websites so I'm wondering if the rest of the Innisfree masks that I have are fake (I hope not, please >_<).  Got this variant from an ebay seller named bhappywithme at around P45 or more or less $1.

It seems like my face have a hate relationship with citrus variant sheet masks and the Lemonlime is not an exception.  Innisfree It's Real Lemonlime Mask has this oily essence that is not pleasant to the face and at the same time it has an overpowering alcohol smell.  Didn't enjoy my moment of relaxation with this mask and it really didn't do anything significant to the well being of my skin (ahahaha that made me laugh) which is good in the sense that citrus-flavored mask gives me zits or minor breakouts but still disappointed me with it's overall performance.

And lastly, we have the Kiwi variant.  Innisfree It's Real Gold Kiwi Mask is okay...just your ordinary sheet mask that moisturizes the skin.  Like the Lemonlime, this one also has this oily heavy essence with a bit of an alcohol smell but not as much like the Lemonlime or the smell you get from a 70% solution rubbing alcohol.

Both the Lemonlime and the Gold Kiwi doesn't have the flap on the eye area which makes me wonder if these two are fake, anyway got them for P35 each (that's around P.80) and I will not mention where I got them.  I also didn't bother bother to type the descriptions in the packaging since they are all the same but I read before and forgot where I read it that the color of the circle in the packaging indicates what category does the sheet mask belongs to like for gray it's brightening.  I'm still trying to find it, maybe will just post it to my next Innisfree masks review (I still have 3 left from the brand).

From this batch, The Innisfree It's Real Rice Mask is the clear winner.  I hope the Innisfree in GMarket will go on sale again.  Will definitely ask Bae Lu to order this particluar variant for me.

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

Small Medium Large: Moringa, Avocado and Apricot

There are some products that don't need much explanation and elaboration that I just tend to bundle and give my thoughts about them in one post to save space in the net :P

Beauty comes in all sizes and I have 3 good and affordable products to share with you.

Pantene Pro-V Intensive Hair Mask Nature Care - more or less P200 (around $4.25)
The bounciness this one gives is not comparable with what's shown in its Philippine commercial but given the price, this one is bouncy enough for me.  It makes my crowning glory moisturize, feeling light and bouncy as if it's so healthy.  Scent is a bit heavy in floral but tolerable.  I use this after I shampoo my hair, put a shower cap on and let it sink into my hair for more or less 10 minutes or until I'm done scrubbing and washing my skin.  Rinse then either fan dry (which makes my hair very tame and shiny) or air dry (which gives my hair some good looking fly-aways but still shiny at the same time and less frizzy too).

Moringa-O2 Malunggay Herbal Hair, Scalp, & Skin Therapy Oil - P99 (around $2.10)
There are many uses enumerated in the box packaging but I mainly bought this 30ml oil for only one purpose and that is to moisturize my skin.  Cold days are my dry skin's enemy so I layer oil and lotion or body butter to keep my skin well moisturize.  Moringa-O2 Malunggay does its job in the moisturizing area (will just update this post or make another one if ever I'll try its other uses).  I also noticed that it helps in reducing the appearance of some of my scars.  Others say that this one is light on the skin...I don't 100% agree.  Though it's lighter than baby oil, it's not as light as dry or argan oil.  I definitely see and feel a thin film of oil sitting on top of my skin.  But with all the benefits of moringa plus its affordability,  there's no doubt that this is a must try.

St. Ives Smoothing Apricot Exfoliating Body Wash - more or less P200 (around $4.25)
It gives a mild exfoliation and at the same time washes the dirt from the body, this is a 2 in 1 product that is paraben free and made with natural ingredients.  The exfoliators from this body wash is so fine like a sand that I wish their face scrub would also be the same and even if I use this on a daily basis (with just my hands), my skin doesn't dry out.  The apricot scent is also refreshing and having a 400ml product in a bottle will last for more or less 3 months.

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

February 2014: I suck at Social Media

My IG suckiness:  A short conversation
by Arya of The Certified Latebloomer

Me:  Thanks, sarap the chocolates
Friend Seller:  Thanks din.  Sa uulitin.  Please post some pics on IG and tag me
Me: o_O IG????

I suck at social media that months ago I didn't even know what IG means.  Mind you I have twitter, facebook, instagram, pinterest and other sorts but I just don't know how to manage them all (I also don't know how to fully utilize their functions).  I admire those who can make their social whatevers alive and very interesting.

Month end once again and the start of March feels so gloomy that I always end up sleeping and listening to music instead of blogging or doing some productive activities but I noticed that even if the sun shine so vastly, the weather is not so hot considering March is the start of Philippine summer.  I hope this kind of weather stays throughout summer and I hope friends in other countries enjoy their spring time.

And here goes my usual things except for wishlist part because I'm not wishing for any material things right...oh wait I want ube (yam) jam right now!

empties

Done with the Secret Key Argan Angel Moisture Steam Cream which is just simply moisturizing and the smell makes me hungry and don't forget about the lovely tin packaging.  You can check my post about it here.

I'm scraping every bit of the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Serum that I already remove the pump and inserting my pinkie in the bottle just to get the left-over serum.  I love how it instantly gives radiance because of its gold-like particles and how it leaves a velvety finish to my skin.  Read my thoughts about it here.

It's my first time to use a Laneige product and I'm impress with the Water Bank Essence as it's light yet very moisturizing.  Also the 15ml took me 3 weeks to finish it so I think that's value for money.  I still have 3 samples in my stash aka mini department store so I'm good for 1 quarter of the year.

Pantene Intensive Cream Nature Care and St.  Ives Smoothing Apricot Exfoliating Body Wash are just simple thing that you can find in the grocery that works.  Will share my thoughts on them in my next post.

favorite:  Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream

I'm so happy the KB sent me the Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream because it totally helped (and still helping by the way) in the faster recovery of the wounds, scratches and scars on my legs.  It's moisturizing and I noticed that I seldom scratch my legs now.  I also use this on my face whenever I feel lazy to go over my long skincare regimen.

source

It started with Ho Hey, then there's Stubborn Love and before I knew it I'm playing their Studio Album (via youtube) all throughout the day while having my afternoon tea, browsing the net and even when I'm reading.  I don't like any distraction when I'm reading a book but the sound of The Lumineers is just so calming even if most of their lyrics are not so happy.

My top favorites from The Lumineers are Dead Sea, Stubborn Love, Flowers in Your Hair and of course, Ho Hey.

Have fun under the sun.  Enjoy Spring/Summer!

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!