Weekend Haul: nail stuff galore~

I have been quite into nail stuff lately considering that my acne is flaring up & i can't get to use make-up whenever i want to, the way for the 'kikayness' in me to show up is through my nails. Add the fact that i joined the fun FB Group Fab ur Nails, it made my nail addiction soar to the highest level..hehe

I guess you've heard of the Del Sol Color Changing Polish?
Well, i have already placed an order for it... OMG! I can't wait!
I even dreamt that i already had it on my nails!
talking about nail addiction..
-___-"

Anyway, i have been sick the past couple of days. I caught the flu bug that ended up in sore throat therefore losing my voice in the end which forced me to cancel my classes. The weather here in the Philippines is terrible! It's sunny but it's raining...it's cold but will eventually get hot in the afternoon then becomes cold again. It's no wonder a lot of people are sick!

Going back... when i did my Christmas shopping, i also grabbed a couple of stuff for me... though mostly the stuff that i bought are for my godchildren, relatives & friends...

I can't find my big tub of Epilin Wax so i bought the small one just in case... Himalaya Herbals shampoo & conditioner for me to try.. im just curious about it. I decided to buy the Nichido eyebrow pencil since i find it time-consuming using eyebrow kits every now & then to fix my brows & a couple of other stuff...

Yesterday, i also went shopping together with my brother when i saw a small nail art store & the first thing that i saw were their water decals! Yay! How fun~! I've already used the one in the middle & that's what i'm wearing now.

As we browse one store from another, i saw these gorgeous knee high socks & i bought them...not sure where & when i can use these though...but hey! they're cute,right? hehe

Oh!
Since i am an insomniac & i can't buy any more novels because i don't have a place where i can put them anymore. I have run out of space to store them so i just decided to take up cross stitching again.

The Aida cloth is half a yard so it's pretty big but then i just opted for a count 10 cloth so that i won't have trouble counting & stitching... This is the pattern i'm gonna be working on.

It's quite hard to actually do cross stitching with long nails, but then since i'm mostly doing this to occupy my time while waiting for sleep to take over then i guess it's ok. I can live with it, im not as clumsy as i was before so i can manage stitching now. hehehe.

I was actually able to start it already. I'm done with her hands & that sparkly thing she is holding right there.Hopefully i'll be able to finish this.. i'll show you all once i finish this. the question is...when...hehe

Then as soon as we went home, i tried out the water decals because im sooooooooooo excited!

I think it's not too shabby for a first timer,ne?
The edges are not as neat as i want them to be but i'm not the one to complain since this is the 1 of the easiest way to glam up your nails! Tutorial for water decal will be up soon!

I bought nail art brushes & rhinestones too but it still hasn't arrived yet.. most probably tomorrow. I'll just do another post once i already have it.

Then finally, Sis Thriszha of Fab Ur Nails sent me an early Christmas gift because we were talking in the group i said that my ultimate 'nail' dream is to be able to own a holographic nail polish. I asked hr if she is willing to let 1 of hers go & i would gladly pay for my life for it

Imagine my shock when she said that it's her gift for me.
OMG!!!!!
I was sooooooooooooooooo happy i could float away to la-la-land all by myself!

So when the package arrived last thursday & i saw her generosity, it really put a smile on my face even if i am very tired!

She even included nail stamp & a water decal. My very firsts! I will not use this water decal for i will include it in my scrapbook. Sorry, Sis Thriszha, it's too important for me to use..hehe! That's why i just bought the water decal that i tried because i don't want to make a mistake & ruin my first special water decal!

Everything is really amazing!
I'm not yet used to stamping but i find that it's a nice way to have a professional looking nail in a shorter time compare to doing free hand designing. But fret not, ladies, i'll still be doing free hand nail designs. It's a way for me to de-stress.

The Color Club Fashion Addict is soooooooooooo pretty i don't even want to use it. I just want to stare at it!
hehehe

OMG!
OMG!
OMG!

I'm absolutely thrilled with everything!
Thank you, moja!
^_^

The hamster is about to come your way... just make sure you continue checking your door every now & then. He might be already half way home..hehe.

I'll have my last Christmas nail design up this week. I'm just waiting for my brushes to arrive. I'm actually still not done with my Christmas shopping...

Why is it that even if you make a list of everything & have bought all of the things on your list there is still something that you forgot to buy?! Isn't that annoying? Anyway, it's Christmas...
*shrugs shoulder*

I'll be busy again starting tomorrow...
Isogashii...isogashii...
lots of things to do!

Hope you will all have a good start for this week,ladies!
Jaa~!
^_^

ps:
i'll still be doing some product reviews but i'll refrain from using cosmetics as much as i can up until my skin has fully healed. I don't want to put a burden on my skin by piling cosmetics while my acne is still up. For the time being, i'll be doing some nail product posts.

Weekend Nails: Christmas trees

Another draft for my soon-to-be Christmas nails! This is my 3rd Christmas nail art design...

I used different colors so that i/you would have an idea of how it looks like on a different background also with different designs on them. This nail design is definitely personalize-able. You can get your nails to look exactly like your own Christmas tree at your house. Just let your imagination fly free!

The only thing that i would be showing you how to do is the tree itself... decorating it is your job. This is when the fun will start! This is an easy nail art~

Materials needed:

• your choice of polishes
• green polish
• dotting tools
• a brush with thin long bristles

Instructions:

1. Paint your nails with your desired polish color. In this case, i will show you different backgrounds so that you would have an idea of some color contrast between them. My thumb has a dark purple, pointer has black, middle has a blue iridescent polish, ring finger is a nude color while the pinkie has a blue color.

2. As for the tree, dip your brush on your green polish then make stripes on your nails in the shape of a Christmas tree... albeit a half tree in my case. The striping motion should only just be in 1 direction & that is going outwards. You can make it a whole tree but it would look smaller unless you have long & wide nails. I think half of the tree is still good though. It would give you enough space to decorate it even if you don't have long nails.

3. Continue applying the green polish in a striping motion until you fill half of your nails or until you are already satisfied with how the tree looks like.

4. Then decorate to your hearts content! I'll give you a close up of how each nail looks like...

Dark purple background with yellow garland & blue balls.

 Black background with glitters underneath, the tree has a few white strokes as snow with blue balls.

Iridescent blue background with yellow & gold-ish garland

 Nude background (it makes the tree stand out better!) with glitter polish underneath the red balls

blue background with glitter polish & gold-ish garland.

Don't forget to finish it off with a top coat,ok?

Hmmm... what do you think is the best color combination?
Or what colors do you  think is good?

I'll do the santa nails once i got the set of nail art brush that i ordered.
There ya go! Hope you like it!
I'm sure you had fun decorating your own tree, why not put your tree on your nails as well too!
^_~

Have a great weekend,ladies!
Next weekend is already Christmas!
sooooooooooooo excited!

Jaa ne~!
^_^

blogsale

Since i'm not the type that keeps unloved products on my kit, i decided to do a blogsale to make home for these unloved babies. Just click the blogsale tab at the top of my page to take a look. This blogsale is only for Philippine-based buyer.

I have been quite busy catching up with a lot of things so i don't think i'll be able to blog up until the holiday.. but i'll try my best!
^_^

Hope you are enjoying your evening,sweethearts!

Clean & Clear Active Clear Acne Control Kit Review

I have been plastered the past couple of days to my bed because i caught the flu bug... oh my! it's because of the weather.. but anyway, im almost ok now. So i can spend lots of hours in front of the pc again. Let's start this week by a product review...

I used to think that "battling" with my never-ending acne requires those kits that are made to address problems like mine. But then i learned the hard way to not battle with it.. just let it run its course. You can click HERE on my notes about how i deal with acne. I highly suggest that you read the posts that i linked with this so that you will be able to know all the information that you will need in deciding if you are going to buy this.

This is one of the kits that are available locally...

This is my 2nd kit already. I bought the first one, this one was given when i attended the Clean & Clear event last month. Sad to say, this didn't work for me.

If you read my post before on how i broke the breakout cycle, i said that i found out that the only thing that worked for me is constant face washing. Experts say that constant face washing is not good...i know all the yada yada...so please spare me that,ok? I also know the scientific explanation of how salicylic acid works... but for some reason it just doesn't do for me.

I can't understand my skin anymore... salicylic acid doesn't work..so is benzoyl peroxide... but then im glad that i can get simple things to work for me like tomato masks & face washing. Anyway, just read that post if you want to know my routine. I still do it up until now.

Going back, this is how the back looks like... Don't worry if you can't read it, i'll give you a better pic later where you can read to your heart's content.

Then when you open the kit, this is what's inside.

This is what was on the flap cover...

Let's take a closer look at each product & also the product description for each. So let's let the pictures do the talking for the time being.

Starting with the Acne Control Cleanser:

Ingredients list...

Acne Control Toner

Ingredients list...

Acne Control Moisturizer

Ingredients list...

Acne Control Speed Gel

Ingredients list...

*whew*
Did that tire you from clicking the pics in reading the description? hehe...gomee, gomen... i'd rather just post the pic than type everything. XD

So, from here i'll do the 'talking.

Before i start with my personal experience & post, let me just say once again that i have a sensitive 'out-of-this-world' skin. I have tried a lot of acne kits & products but 97% of them just don't work on me. If you have a skin that is not as sensitive like mine, then i guess this would do wonders for you. If you haven't yet tried salicylic acid in treating zits & would want to give it a shot, then click HERE for a good alternative. Salicylic Acid used to work on me, but i guess with time & whatsoever it just stopped working.

Now that that's out of the way, let's start with this heart-pouring post.

Out of all the 4 products in this kit, i'd say that the cleanser is the one that i like... mainly because it gives this minty cool feeling as you massage it on your face. It doesn't actually lather. I tried to hard to make it foamy but to no avail. I guess it just isn't meant to be foamy at all. It's in a runny, almost translucent, bluish kinda-gel consistency.

You will feel that cooling sensation as you massage it on your skin which i guess helps in knowing when you need to stop massaging it. I can't quite describe the scent but at least it's not overwhelming that will make you gag if you use it. I have to say that this is mild even if it contains propylene glycol, phenoxyethanol & a boat load of parabens. It doesn't give me that dry, stretchy feeling after washing.

Then the toner...
It has this weird chemical-y scent which turns me off of using it. It claims to 'reduce excess oil' so expect that it has alcohol on it.Just like the usual toners, this is clear so i didn't bother showing you the pic anymore.

As for the moisturizer...
Just like what you see in the pic, it is whitish. It is actually easily absorbed by the skin. It leaves this a-bit-sticky-but-not-too-much texture once it's absorbed. The scent is bearable compare to the toner. Same ingredients that i've mentioned together with the cleanser plus alcohols in it... it has tocopheryl acetate on it though.. on which is a synthetic vitamin e.

Then the speed gel...
Translucent texture that stings when you apply it on your zits. It's just like those other spot treatments that you can buy in the store though. I hate this spot treatment though (Gomen nasai, Clean & Clear), it does reduce the zits but the blemishes that it leaves are horrible.

I used this for my morning & evening cleansing/routine. I do not even wash my face as regularly as i do (which is like 3x at most for a day) for i want to be able to stick with the how it's supposed to be used. Which makes my routine as:
-morning-
wash face with cleanser, use the toner then the moisturizer... apply speed gel to spot treat some zits..
-evening-
wash face with cleanser, use the toner then the moisturizer... apply speed gel to spot treat some zits..

This went on for 3 weeks. Then i stopped... for i experienced the same thing that i experienced when i first tried it.

I know i said that i give products that i use at least 2 months before i stop using it or give my verdict. With this, 3 weeks is enough... Hey! I said that this is my second kit,right?

 see how many i have now?can't find my other cleanser & speed gel though..

I have tried this already but i tried it again since it was given to me. I was thinking that the effect might be different this time... big mistake! Why is it that i do not learn from my past experiences?!

Wanna know why i said it's a big mistake?
Take a look~

Sorry if the 'after use' pic is dark. I seriously don't want to post pics of how bad my skin is but since i am committed in giving my pure, unadulterated review for my readers... I WILL.

The 'before use' has that open pores & few blemishes with 1 gigantic zit screaming hello.
The 'after use' has horrendous zits...it's like that 1 zit in the before use gave birth to quadruplets which really gave me a very bad time dealing with it. again, this only happened with just 3 weeks of use.
The 'my skin now' is my skin now as you are reading this post now. My zits are almost gone... im sure that i'll be sporting blemishes this holiday..thanks to clean & clear... *smirk*  -__-"

Salicylic Acid is a good chemical for it really seeps down to your pores in melting down the dirt that are trapped on your skin... but for some reason it stopped working on my skin now. As i keep on repeating over & over, this is my experience.

I think this is available in leading department stores for Php 550.I'm not sure how many weeks 1 kit supposed to last.. I guess this is for 30 days use.

As for the summary, im actually having a hard time thinking of the pros & cons of this one... but i'll try my best..

PROS:

• locally available
• price is not that bad if salicylic acid works for you, considering that you are getting 4 items
• the kit can last for a month

CONS:

• if you don't like those chemical-y scented products you might not like it
• *it just didn't work on me
• im not sure if this variant is available in other countries as well. i think in US they have the 'Advantage' which has Benzoyl Peroxide as main ingredients unlike this...

Will i buy it?
Nope. This is definitely the last time that i will try this kit. Once is enough, twice is too much...

I am sticking by what i said before that i do not use any products for skin care. I only wash my face regularly & use tomato mask as much as i can.

I am currently using Pond's Pure White Deep Cleansing Facial Foam with Activated Carbon. I think it is doing a good job in cleansing. Will do a review on it after a couple of weeks.

My main priority now is to be able to buy a good concealer in covering up all those nasty spots that i suffered from this product. I'm seriously thinking of buying Mac's Studio Finish Concealer... but then if there is a cheaper alternative than MAC please tell me.

Have you tried this product?
Did it work for you?

Hope you all will have a good week,ladies!
Simbang Gabi is about to start this thursday... any of you planning to complete it?
^_^

Jaa ne~!

PS:
Please refrain from clicking any links on c-boxes especially the spams. You would never know if you will be directed to a site that are full of viruses or anything. I'm sure that you know how to distinguish real people from spammers.

notes:
* this post is my own. product was provided, but it did not in any way affect how i wrote this post. this is my personal experience. let it be known that what work/did not work for me could work/not work for you. use at your own discretion.

a new fragrance~

Since i can't seem to feel that strong blogging desire yet, i decided to just make a random post for the time being.

My Godfather dropped by last week & gave me a late birthday gift. I wasn't expecting anything at all to think that i'm already 26 & i think it's way past the time where i will still be getting gifts from my Godparents.

De mo ne, totemo ureshii~!
but i'm still very happy!

So, going back, I received Calvin Klein Beauty.

I remember watching the commercial for this, which is by Diane Kruger. I think this was released this year...

I'm not really that familiar with signature fragrances. I am clueless when the topic is already about fragrances. So if you will ask me if it smells like the other CK fragrances, i'll just give you that 'clueless stare' look.  Love the bottle though... looks really classy & timeless.

I have tried other fragrances but the only one that i like so far is B-Spot by Benefit. It seems to agree with my body chemistry. Every time i buy fragrances, i end up giving it to my mum for it just doesn't suit me. I tried this & i guess i sprayed too much with just 2 spritz for i end up with a sore throat after a couple of hours all because the scent is overpowering. I told you that i have a sensitive sense of smell,right?

It says that it has a note of lily, jasmine etc...on which i can't quite figure out. It's said to have a modern, floral fragrance but i don't think so. Well, anyway, im not really an expert again, but i have to say that this last forever. I spritz it on my shirt at around early afternoon then the next day when i was picking up my clothes to put in the laundry, i sniffed my brassiere & the scent is still there.

Wow!

As what i said, i spritz it on my shirt but the scent still lingers not just my shirt, but also my bra. I have tried a couple of eau de parfum (yes, perfume!) but sometimes it doesn't last long. Benefit B-Spot is just a Eau de Toilette but it lasts long on me, which just tops the others that i have tried.

I didn't notice any change in the scent when it sits in my skin though, which is good for it means that it agrees on me.

Hmmm....
While i may not be a fan of it's overwhelming scent but i would have to say that it is good. I'm glad that i got to try this one out.

Are you a fan of CK fragrances?
If not, what is your fave fragrance?

Hope you all will have a good weekend!
^_^

Weekend Nails: Christmas bells

My 2nd Christmas nail design. I made this a few days ago...

Far from weekend yet but i figure that i would post this already so that i would be able to make as much christmas designs as i can not only for me, but for you to choose as well if ever you also plan to glam up your nails this holiday.

 I'm not really sure about this though.. i'm having a mixed feeling if i actually like it or not. I like it for it's something that you can look at only when you are looking at your hands when it's straight on, but not when you curl your hand (or when someone looks at your fingers). It's not that eye catching, but the color of christmas is there... Maybe it's better if i actually put glitter polish on the gold base before i painted the details it would be more catchy....

Hmm...

Anyway, on with the tut...

Materials needed:

• base/top coat
• gold polish
• yellow polish (or glitters/anything sparkly)
• green polish (dark green is better!)
• red polish
• black polish
• detailing brush
• dotting tool

Just click the pic to be able to see it better....

1. On clean nails, apply base coat & also the gold base color. In this point if you want it more sparkly, add a glitter polish on top of the gold polish. Let it completely dry before adding any details.

2. Using any color that you want, apply a thin oblique line like in number 1. Apply leaves using the green polish like in number 2. It doesn't have to be of equal numbers. The point where they met would be where we would be drawing the bells so the leaves have to be bigger though.

3. In order to make the garland seem fuller, apply random green polish in between like in number 1 & also a few yellow strokes or even glitters or anything sparkly (number 2) for that extra oomph. Yes, my thumb is silver for i want to also see the combination with silver & let me tell you that it's not good. Stick with gold.

4. Now that your garland is all set, we have to draw in the details. Draw 2 irregular triangles on the mid lower part of the garland (number 1) using a detailing brush, the other should be big while the other is just small. Let it dry. I said irregular for it would just serve as a guide... i think in my case case it's more of yellow clumps than triangles..LOL

5. Trace the shape of a bell using a black polish (or brown if you want a less intense shape of the bell) like in number 2. Using your smallest dotting tool, add 2 dots at the bottom of the bell to act as the pendulum (number 3). To finish it off, using red polish draw a tie at the top of the bell to cover any imperfections that you might have made (number 4). Again, click the pic for a bigger image. You can add a small dot in the middle of the ribbon if you want to.

6. Top with your favorite top coat. All done~!

This is not really very hard as you may think. I guess doing freehand nail design could be difficult, but it is very rewarding. It is a good stress-reliever.

You would just need a steady hand & patience to do it, which is why my left fingernails always look better compare to my right fingernails because im right-handed. hehe

Now, i'm thinking of my next nail design..
How about Santa Claus? Dou?

We'll just see then.
Hope you all are enjoying your evening/day,sweeties!

Jaa ne~!
^_^

ps:
I did not win the Etude House Nail Art Contest, but i'm already happy because you showed support. I'm so happy that you appreciated & liked my nail designs. Thank you all very much!

Hontoni Arigato gozaimasu, minna-san!

Bazaar Invitation~

I received an email a couple of days ago about a christmas bazaar. I figured that it would be good to share this especially if you haven't done your christmas shopping & would want to be able to have an opportunity for a Santa photo shoot at the same time.

Have you done your Christmas shopping? 

  

 

 

Come and shop at the biggest bazaar in the Quezon City! With over

150 vendors , you will surely find the perfect gift for your loved

ones at Santa’s Christmas Bazaar @ La Vista ! From cheap

christmas giveaways to expensive designer bags, you will not leave

with your hands empty!

 

Bring your whole family! Because aside from great shopping,

we also have exciting activities and freebies for all bazaar visitors.

Every hour we will be raffling off prizes from our vendors, and you

have a chance to win the great home décor showcase! All visitors

are also entitled to avail of FREE J.W. Marriott’s five-star hotel gift certificates for three nights and four days at Phuket, Thailand, and even sign-up for FREE scuba diving lessons at Batangas!

 

Come Sunday, Santa will be celebrating his birthday so bring your kids over from 2pm-5pm for games, free loot bags, and a special visit from Santa Claus himself! This is a great photo opportunity, since we have one of the best Santa’s in town! And if that’s not enough, we also have a great selection of food to eat and enjoy at our al fresco dining area.

 

So what else are you waiting for?

Shop at the Santa’s Christmas Bazaar @ La Vista this weekend!

And that's not all, the first 200 persons who will send the following details to claudbaron@yahoo.com, cc eb_tolentino@yahoo.com.ph will get a freebie.

Full Name:

Email Address:

Mobile Number:

Please type Santa's Gift Corner on the subject.

No need to purchase anything. Just print out the confirmation email that they will receive and head to Santa's Gift Corner during the Santa's Christmas Bazaar in La Vista on December 11-12.

I'm not sure if i can actually drop by the bazaar for i have a weekend plan but i'll drop by if i can. If ever you will drop by, tell me what's up.

Have a great day,hunnies!

Jaa~!

Sweets: Maxim Matcha Latte

 When im feeling tired or restless i reach for a cup of tea. Even if i am trying to not take too much caffeine i can't help myself. It's like a cup of tea can cast a relaxing spell on me. For that extra strenuous day, i pop open Maxim's Matcha Latte.

I sure hope that this is available here but then i guess that's just wishful thinking. I got this from Eileen who bought it at Japan... 

I saw a website (NapaJapan.com) where you could buy these, but they are almost always out of stock.. T_T
It's so easy to do this for you just have to pour hot water then let it fizz away! I would want to try the traditional way of preparing matcha but this one is good for those who wanted to enjoy matcha in an instant.

In my case i prefer milk for it makes it all the more creamy & it compliments the matcha flavor really good!

See how frothy it is?

Matcha Latte daisuki~!
^_^

I am about to run out of this so i am searching high & low where i could buy it. Anyone knows a website where i can buy this? I don't mind buying this online even though i am avoiding the tax.. but i can risk it for this one. That's how much i L-O-V-E this!

Do you also like green tea?
If you could get your hands on this one, make sure that you do!

Another nail design will be up maybe tomorrow~!
Have a great evening/day,ladies!

Jaa ne~!
^_~

help me win~

I think this is the first time that i joined a nail art competition... i can't remember if i did but i have a feeling that this is the first time...hehe.. blame this to age gap. Lately my memory is not as sharp as it was before.

Anyway, i'll really appreciate it if you, girls, could show some love by LIKING my entry in Etude House's page. Onegaishimasu!

 You can just click the pic so that you would be directed to the page. Please LIKE Etude House's page so that you could vote on my entry. One lucky 'liker' would also get the chance to win something from etude house too if i win.

Thank you in advance~!
^_^

Arigato gozaimasu!

ps:
tutorial on this nail is over HERE