Empties August 2013

Gahhh! i fully wrote this post for three times now and I always accidentally delete everything for some reason and it all went gone! I wanna punch a Janet Napoles and skin her bebe gerr alive anytime today! Now, if only she wasn't that sick?! Again, for the fourth time (Good thing this "Empties" is somewhat a let-go unwind post therapy...) here are my empties for the month of August 2013!

Last month's empties was a success! I'm so proud of myself I patted me on the back and said "thumbs up for good riddance!"

This month's empties was humongous! I'm so proud of myself I need to pat myself on the back and say "two thumbs up for good riddance! Great hobby it should be a habit!" - I was thinking of doing my empties on a monthly basis as I initially attached the month and year on my previous empties... to (1) encourage myself to consume everything I have on my vanity - so I (2) could finally say something about that something since I could have said something about it when it was still quite new - say half of it was still full but due to a hundred reasons and excuses, last drops was consumed and am still mum about it... until now! :) - hence (3) will be aware that I don't need to buy "that thing that will go perfectly with ..." "that new brand of .../line of... "and "this thing that will match, complete, complement, blah blah blah yadah yadah yadah..." since I still have some things (similar) to finish up first and lastly, I believe having my monthly "empties" is a way to personally somehow (4) cure impulse shopping and hoarding (5) avoid "things i regret buying" and (6) future resentments like credit card limit charges! #ehem All this (7) while creating a list of "holy grail products" in my head. :)

So anyways, empties included here are a mixture of our family's recent favorite products and new random finds... Starting from upper left clockwise...

Avon Naturals Whitening Face Lotion -  in rose and rose-hips. I had nothing much to say to this product except that I'd used this as my makeup remover and moisturizer wrapped in one bottle on times when I'm too lazy to clean my face out of makeup especially when it's on the wee hours of the night. As a daily moisturizer, a pea and a half-size is enough for my entire face and neck to avoid excessive oil due to hot weather just like what I would normally do in any other moisturizer out there, but when I know I'll stay on an a/c room, I slap this on whenever I remember to do so. Hint: I put this on an arm's length away. ;)

Etude House Oh M Liquid Eye Liner - that I bought using my BDJ discount coupon last year. and a random black bear eyeliner that I got from Bonchic. Now I'm stuck with an ELF Gel Liner for smokey eyes and a Maybelline Masterliner in Brown for neutral looks that I won here. :)

United Homes Calactate & Fersulfate Iron and Anlene Total - my two over-the-counter everyday maintenance. For hair loss, sleepless nights and nursing a year old infant. :) Totally, love the taste of Anlene and I'm currently trying the chocolate flavor and will go back to vanilla because I decided I'll alternately the flavors. I wish they had it in Hazel flavor as well though just like Anmum! :)

Vitress Hair Polish in Strengthening - I'm ready to try another variant from this Vitress hair polish line anytime soon! :)

GOODSKINLAB Intense Clarity + Smoothing Peptide Serum - I bid my bittersweet goodbye before chopping off its tail while repeating "Off with its head!" with the Queen of Heart's baritone. Dramatic. But seriously, scooping the last cream out of its tube? It means quality at its best! This could have been my holy grail - replacing primer and moisturizer when I'm on the go since this really holds my makeup together and silky smooth face canvass just right after application! It glides on seriously! I'm so happy I get the chance to try this product by winning it on a GSK giveaway held by The Beautinomics way way back... My hopes are still up though, that this brand will find its way back here in the Philippines just like the ZA Cosmetics everyone is talking about! :) #staypositive

Maybelline Shine Free Cake Powder - in 04 Honey with SPF25 and PA++ stays true to its promises of

• All day Shine COntrol
• UV protection
• Fairer Skin
• Conceals
• Long wear
• Smoothes
• Evens
• Non Comedogenic

The only turn off? Its formula is too brittle, it cracks and breaks easily. Guess what? I'm one of the few that got a broken cake! Just my luck! That leads me to give in and spill the beans - I really didn't used this up, it just dust my makeup kit and anything it got in-touch with it until its gone. So hey Maybelline New York, I need a refund refill! Yes a refill would suffice! ;)

ELF Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder -  in warm tan. Nostalgic. This is my first ELF makeup product after I've been swept away for face paint passion! And Michelle Phan's tutorial using shimmer bronzer as contour and eyeshadow makes me love this more. Another must-have when you're on the go and ready to run! :)

Cortizan - be it pimple, rashes, inflamation, fungi whatsoever, my family would just dab a cortizan! Its our ointment holy grail if that makes sense. Less than Php200.00 a tube.

4Life Transfer Factor Riovida Bursts - that I talked about in my last month's empties.

4Life Transfer Factor Glutamine Prime - for less than Php3300.00, you'll get 180 capsules of building blocks that'll

• help you fight stress and avoid depression
• mood stabilizer - bipolar bears are out!
• more energy reserves - if you're a mom, nursing a year old, working and at home you need to reserve all the energy you could surely use for extra extra :)
• encourages your body to produce glutathione - whitening was not my priority (although I have several whitening products) but this will make you fairer while
• protecting your liver - love your liver not your liquor
• glutathione as body's antioxidant to fight free radicals

What are you waiting for, grab a Glutamine Prime now! You need it!

Sesou Haul Empties - including Giga Baby Insect Repellent Spray, Milea Baby Baby Cleaner and Human Heart Nature Spray Sanitizer. That is actually our 2nd Milea Baby Cleaner - my best friend when water is no where!

Sunsilk Smooth and Manageable Shampoo and Conditioner - is my every month favorites, can you tell? Can't believe we used up 3 refill sachets of Sunsilk pink, I guess Sarah G.'s irresistible commercial holds true to the family. I however find that the conditioner didn't really conditioned my hair so...

Dove Hair Fall Rescue Conditioner - is my perfect match! Sunsilk pink shampoo + this Dove conditioner = good smelling tangle free hair! It's love! I skip the Dove shampoo partner 'cause it tends to make my hair oily!

Black Beauty Shampoo in Crystal - yup, I ate up my words. This is my 3rd bottle and still counting!

Avon Skin So Soft Silky Moisture replenishing lotion with argan oil -  this sounds weird but at first, the scent of this lotion reminds me of coffins and burials, of small violet flowers used to that sad occasions... but as my nose adjusted (can't resist the organ oil goodness) and so, I'm done with the first bottle and since I bought two of these, I'm down to use the next last bottle. I'm not so sure if I would go buy this SSS lotion again, I might try another brand. But the argan oil - so we never know! Argan oil is good!

Johnsons Baby Powder - in pink included in my Johnson Baby Haul

Johnsons Baby Cooling Bath and Milk Bath - Last summer, I gave my babe a treat by switching to Johnsons Baby Cooling Bath, its like minty cool and he loves it too! And, later on we return to our love at first smell - the milk bath! It reminds me of my newborn baby Clyde! P.S. our first love was the orangey no tears formula!

That's it! Hello September! I'm so happy! If you're following me on my social media then you know why! Hint: Google Nexus 7! Ow Em Ji!

Recent Favorites: Make Up

Yes, this is a baby bag,

but since I'm breastfeeding, this bag had spaces for my kikay kit! Yahoo!

still, missing playing with these e/s!

Here are my recent loves!

Current favorites aotm :))

First off, although not included in the photo, I'm still inlove with Garnier brightening oil control scrub! :D

Included in the photo are the

Lashem measurable difference lash gel,

GSK intense clarity-smoothing peptide serum,

Mary Kay e/s in sugarplum,

Jordana e/s in golden sun,

L.A. colors e/s pallete in ep41wine,

Etude House Oh Ms!

(Click the linkies to go the blog posts!)

lippies atm

Will be doing some reviews on some of the products included in these photos including swatches of these yummy lippies! :D

Whats your recent favorites? *it doesn't have to be make up* Share 'em!

Beautiful Gorgeous Eyes: How to Get it!

The nature of my work stressed me out, I always look exhausted with big and dark eye bags plus bloodshot puffy eyes and those premature wrinkles on my eye area! And since I'm on my third trimester of my pregnancy I sleep like a dough, rolling this way and that! But here is how I fake my tired eyes:

• I heart coffee, but since I have a bread in the  oven, not drinking coffee doesn't stop me from smelling and using coffee! :P It contains caffeine which is a vasodilator that constricts blood vessels in the skin, which in return helps tightens and firms nerves! Caffeine is a well-known antioxidant that also helps prevent premature aging of the skin! ;) Good exfoliation even once a week will do good to whisk away dead cells!
• I'm recently stuck here in Baguio (Its always cold in Baguio) and like always I take hot bath but that doesn't stop me from chill out my skin. What I do is I slowly adjust the temperature of the water from hot to warm to lukewarm up until what I can manage. The warm water open up the pores and rinsing it with cool water will close the pores and it will also stimulate circulation and hence leave a toning effect. It also make me look more awake and alive.
• Using up my GoodSkinLab Intense Clarity Smoothing Peptide Serum I am breaking out like crazy! And this serum help me moisturize my skin while stimulating natural collagen production and helping smoothen texture and tone! :D Dehydration is the root of fine lines and early wrinkles around the eye area and moisturing will help restore lost skin  elasticity. Plus, it has SPF that protects the skin from the harsh sun rays!
• Got a trick from one of my all time favorite beauty guru Michelle Phan to reduce puffiness of the eyes!

It's the tea bag trick! :D

Next time you make tea, save your tea bags (just make sure it’s caffeinated, and preferably green, white, or black tea) and let them cool on a plate. Once they’re cool, place a tea bag over each eye and let them sit for 10 minutes. The caffeine in the tea bag will diminish puffiness by flushing out the water in the tissues around the eyes. Bonus: Tea also contains antioxidants that are beneficial to the skin! For super puffy eyes, try using Chamomile tea—it’s an anti-inflammatory, which can help reduce swelling and puffiness even more.

• Raving on the lashes! I try to curl my lashes to make my eyes pop, using mascara is also good and when I have luxury of time, I put my favorite Singapore False Lashes on! W_W Just to pop the eyes, dramatize and maximize the curve and length! Aside from that, I use my Lashem Measurable Difference Lash Gel as conditioner for my eyelashes and eyebrows!
• Concealer! I try to put minimum concealer under the eye area while I skip or just light coverage of my foundation! :) So far my favorite local concealer is from E.L.F. and EverBilena liquid foundation in Oriental.
• Sparkle the inner corner of my eyes and below the curve of my eyebrows. I try not to over do it. Just a hint of shimmer! :P My favorite white eye pencil would be from "Pearl White" from ELF and "Just Pearly" or the "Sizzling Summer" from Jordana since replacing silvery or pearlescent color with gold pencil eyeshadow would be perfect for summer!
• Even if I focus much on the under eye area, the upper lids should have some love too! LoL Tangerine, yellowy or peachy color eyeshadows will definitely cover and neutralize those black-eyes, so far my "Golden Sun" Eyeshadow from Jordana do the thing, I just swipe it on the base of my upper lids for that monolid simple eye make up.
• I love to perk up my eyes with my Etude House Oh M Liquid Eyeliner and Curling and Clean Mascara but sometimes I go for a lighter color shades like gold brown, charcoal black or chocolate-brown for a more subtle effect of opening up the eyes.
• When my eyes are tired, I wanna focus the attention on somewhere else, like the lips or the cheeks. It's either I put on a very bright red lippies or just blush brightly on the highest point of my apple cheeks with red hue colors. :)

These are the small things that I do to lessen the effect of tired eyes and achieve a more awake looking eyes. It's quite helpful but I still try to avoid stress and get enough sleep as well just to avoid long-term effects of abusing my body. What are your tips and tricks on faking tired puffy bloodshot eyes? I wanna know more! :D

Etude House January 2012 Haul

Last January, using the coupon attached from my BDJ Planner I got at a BDJ Fair, I bought my first Etude House Collection for 2012 in the newly open Etude House SM Baguio branch! And after a month of using the products, here's my two cents for the following products...

Etude House January 2012 Haul

Oh M

Oh M Eye Line - Php198/$5

-its a black liquid eye liner

-potion bottle packaging is cute!

-I like the brush tip because its easy to glide to the direction I want to put it, the thickness of line can be controlled by slanting and adjusting the wand

swatches and brush tip

-not so viscous, hence easy to dry

-last decently enough but not for long-wear make up

-not waterproof, so its easy to erase with a swipe of a make-up remover

Oh M Eye Lash Mascara - Php198/$5

-a black curling and clean mascara

-I love the curvy brush of the wand, it naturally curl my lashes. this works best for people like me who's a dummy when it comes to curling lashes hehe

curvy brush tip

-doesn't clamp my thin lashes while making it more define and thicker

--not waterproof, but like the Oh M Eye Line, I like how it's not waterproof  'cause I hate allotting more time in removing my face paint at the end of the day, a swipe or two of my favorite Clinique make-up remover is all I need and I'm good!

Etude House Lipglosses

Dear Darling Roll Roll Gloss #08 - Php278/$7

-light pinkish tone color best applied after a pink matte lipstick

-sponge-tip wand for easy glide on application

-I also love wearing it bear just after applying my favorite Venus and Mars lip balm

-last up to three hours without eating and drinking, no hassle for me though, all I had to do was to apply it twice back and forth and its as good as new! Same goes with

Moon Crystal Power gloss #1 in Aquapink Souls - Php298/$8

- the pinky-peacky color and the glitters got me!

-suits best after an application of apricot or even nude color lipstick

-I love the brush tip, its like I'm painting my lips hehe

BDJ Freebie

Wonder Pore Freshner -  this is a freebie that I got from the BDJ coupon (thanks BDJ!) Even my hubby loves it! What more can I say! I think I have to go buy the bigger bottle next time I drop by! ;) It's a 7 in 1 pore solution that could help minimize pore size - the reason my hubby digs this!

Etude House Freebies

Dress Room

Dress Room Sweet Look Body Wash - another freebie! Got several of these. It latte foam fast! Smells good too! :)

one of the boxes

what's inside the box

O2 White Skin Care Kit - more freebies! Got 3 boxes of these, which includes an intensive serum, tone up emulsion and tone up toner.

Collagen Moistfull Kit - this free trail kit includes a sample for:

Moistfull Collagen Firming Eye Cream

Moistfull Collagen Facial Freshener

I will do a review comparing these Etude House O2 skin care and Collagen Moistfull with my SKINFOOD golden kiwi gift set and GoodSkinLab serum.

There goes my January haul! I'm loving Etude House big time right now! Not to mention, I heart Dara as much as I heart 2ne1! <3

GOODSKINLAB Intense Clarity + Smoothing Peptide Serum

I was looking for something that'll help me with my skin. It's breaking out and I'm a little worried about it.

Just in time, Beautynomics.com held a collaborated contest with GSL held on GoodSkinLab facebook page and...

I WON!!!

Here's the goodie bag!

and here is the product!

GoodSkinLab Smooth-365 is an Intensive Clarity+Smoothing Peptide Serum.

According to GoodSkinLab:

"For intensive skin clarity, use only Smooth-365, with smoothing peptide serum. As Dr Paul Jarrod Frank puts it, “one of the hottest compounds in anti-aging medicine today is peptides. These proteins stimulate natural collagen production to help provide smooth texture and tone.

"Smooth-365 delivers a combination of peptides and optical diffusers for both an immediate and long-term visible effect," says Dr Paul Jarrod Frank. Peptides stimulate natural collagen production, thus helping smoothen texture and tone!"

GSL Smooth-365 is available on 30mL tube  can last up to 24months and is best used as a primer for fresh and semi-matte finished make up look. It is also a moisturizer with SPF.

What I noticed the first time I use this was that my skin was instantly smooth! Plus, the smell is not that strong, just a mild nail polish like scent that disappear immediately.

My fingers glide on with the product and it really is true to its promise! I immediately feel the improvement on my skin, its like its filling in holes hence smoothens the surface of my skin, making it easier for me to apply foundation evenly.

Velvety smooth indeed!