Friday, November 30, 2012

Acne Diary Entry 3:Acne Sucks!

Doesn't it?!

I'm already on my entry 3 & im glad that some of you find it quite helpful. Thank you for the warm emails, it's nice to know that the effort that i am taking making this is well-worth it. Again, this is a part of the Truth Seeker campaign to create awareness & to help us arm ourselves to fight acne.

This time, i would like to focus on how acne actually affects our confidence. I'm sure that you know how it makes you feel really really really bad. I hope that this post would help you overcome that.

If you read my entry 1, i mentioned that my acne started the time when i was on the hype of experimenting with make-up. So it also means that the time when i had my acne, the only solace that i could find from my bout with acne is to cover it with more foundation & concealer to hide it away. I'm sure you are also guilty of it... right?

But let me tell you something... the more you apply something on your zits, the more you are just making it worse. Why?
You are clogging your pores.
I guess it's ok if you will just have it for a short time but i think the longer you have make-up on the more it just accumulates. Bacteria & oil are trapped in your pores. If you are going to pack something on top of your skin, you are just letting the bacteria in your skin sit on for a longer time. Doesn't that sound gross?

There's no way for us to avoid bacteria. It naturally resides in our skin because we are exposed to air & the bacteria is just naturally present in the air. This is the reason why i mostly recommend using an anti-bacterial soap if you have a younger skin. You have to get rid of the build-up that happened deep-down on your pores.

Now, that we got that out of the way, let's talk about how acne makes us feel.
This is a no-brainer.. we all hate acne! Just having a zit or 2 is enough to ruin our morning the moment we wake up, how much more a horde of zits on your face?!

Just think of acne as something unavoidable so in the end all you have to do is accept it & let it runs it course without adding more damage. It's so hard to say that you have acne, but you already have it (or else you won't be reading this one,no?) so the only thing that's left for you to do is to accept & work with it. Work with it, not against it.

Is there a difference?
Yes, if you are working against it, you try so much to cover it, use more products that are necessary & let it ruin you. The temptation to cover it with make-up is so great but do not! If you are applying concealer, then foundation, & finally setting it with powder is no good.

Just imagine yourself as the skin...
You are dirty & full of grime.
Will you actually put on your undershirt, then your shirt, then finally your jacket to cover the dirt?
Or would you rather just clean yourself & put on something that you are comfortable in?
I'll bet my next paycheck that you will be choosing the 1st one! So why let your skin do the same?!
Think about it... ok?

If you work with it then you listen to what your skin tells you. You do not do things that you know is bad & is pointless. You may not be completely comfortable letting every one see your flaws but you just learn to love with it. You do things that you know is right & will be helpful in the end.

It's just like a break-up.
You either try to bury the pain & let it slowly consume you from the inside or you let go & accept what had just happened?

I've already given you enough illustration & i guess that i've already made my point here.
You know what you are going to choose.
You know what you are going to do.
So go ahead & do it.

Just remember, everyone of us had something bad that we all want to forget.
Every thing will just pass it time. It will be over before you realize it. So don't fret yourself over trivial things like acne! There are a lot more things that you need to do & enjoy in life.
Don't let a freakin' acne stop you.
Don't let it dictate what your life should be like.
You are your own boss.

If you stress about acne, the more your skin will start producing oil (which is bad!) & makes it really really bad.

Just chill out & enjoy life.

I've been there & im definitely done with it!
This is why i'm telling you that acne is not the end of the world.
This is a learning process too. You'll learn a lot of things as you go along the journey. Just like i did!

^_~

Have a happy weekend,hunnies!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

My most coveted polish:FLOAM

Finally!
After months & months of waiting! 5 months to be exact I was able to get my hands on this polish. I have been lusting over this polish for a long time & i'm just so dang glad that i finally have it.


Isn't this polish a beauty?
Tiny (really tiny!they're just like periods -> .....) matte glitters of blue, yellow & yellow green makes this polish so irresistible. I mean, just look at how awesome it is!


But, one thing that you have to know about this polish is that application is such a biotch!

I had to do 5 thick coats to achieve that effect. One important thing that you have to also take note when applying this is that you have to let them dry completely before the next coat, so yeah, this is a very time & effort-consuming polish to don.

Looking at the brush, you'll see how not a lot of glitters are there to really have a full cover for 1 coat so you really have to do at least 4 coats to get the full effect.


Since i said that you have to apply it thickly, it also means that you'll most likely end up using a good portion of it on your finger & toenails... maybe you'll even consume like half of the bottle if you plan to do so. hahaha!

I used it on all 10 of my fingernails & i used up like 1/5? of it already...

1/5 of the bottle gone for all 10 of my fingers...?!
Ridiculous!

You be the judge....
Oh & i am going to keep this in my stash upside down like so because if you notice it most of the blue

For now, i'm just so happy that i already have this polish.
Yay! So, im gonna leave you with 2 more pics of it.


I have to maximize the use of this through pictures, no?


If you are interested in buying this, head on over to NinjaPolish & look over all the Floams that are available there. I just choose the classic floam because that is what i have been wanting ever since.

There ya go...
Hope you are having a fun Tuesday!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Monday, November 26, 2012

Franken Polish: Purple Fantasy~

I'm slowly getting into blogging mode little by little again. Too many classes & things to do now that christmas is already underway. So, to keep my blog alive for the meantime i'll do some polish swatching starting with my very own fanken polish that i call as Purple Fantasy.

I suck at creating names..i know. That's like one of my weakness!
This was a part of my latest holo frankens that i posted before.
Anyway, here is the picture...


Since this is holographic, taking a picture of this is almost next to impossible so i had to do it under the sun... which is think was still not able to capture the beauty of it.
tsk tsk tsk


Ok, here's another one....


gaaahhh!!!
That's a F-A-I-L!
*sigh*


Blurred on purpose so to see the holo effect.
My camera just can't capture the full glory of it but it's really pretty!
I love this shade so much i made 2 bottles of it!

I'll be swatching the other 3 holo frankens that i made together with this some time soon.
^_^

On the other hand, i would also like to give you, guys, a heads up about the Holiday Launch photos of SM Accessories. This would be a good reference if you are already prepping up what accessories would be perfect for your choice of dress this holiday. Just a couple more days before December... you have to also remember what would be your get-up on the special day.

Let's start with the gorgeous Anne Curtis for the Emerald Empire for those who would be wanting the cool color of green for the holiday season.
First let me say, that i'm not really that much into greens before.. but lately, i am loving the color!


My polish hauls the past couple of days has been more into greens! I won't do haul posts anymore because i think i'll just end up posting unnecessary info on my blog.. TMI! lol!

Ok, enough about polishes....
Love the bangles! I have to check SM out for that one. I sure wish they would fit my big wrist! lol!

Ladies, you also have to make sure that your guys are accessorized the way you are! So here is Richard for Urban Glam.


Our men needs to also be in fashion,no?

This next collection is just so vampy elegant! Perfect to finish up the usual little black dress.
I have to check this one out. I also have my black dress & i have to find the perfect accessories to dress up myself.


Love Georgina's fierce make-up!
I wish i can get away with this look.hehehe
Blue Royale collection for that perfect blue/perfect dress that would be able to spice up your wardrobe


Will be sharing a couple more pictures for my next few posts to come.
I have to definitely get a few accessories for my holiday get-up!
But i have to go shopping first!hahaha

Make sure you drop by at SM for your accessories,ok?
^_~
Oh, & make sure you check out their Twitter account. You might never know what you may find there..
How does 100k grand to celebrate the holidays?!
I wanna win too!

Well, there you go. Tomorrow i'll post another polish swatch.
Have a happy day!
Jaa ne~!
^_^




Saturday, November 24, 2012

Acne Diary - Entry 2:Skin vs Food

After my personal introduction about the start of my Acne Diary, which i hoped that you have read & understand. It's now time to start doing something about it. The thing that i would like to focus on is diet.

This is a part of the Truth Seeker campaign to create awareness so that we would be able to help fight acne. Actually a part of this campaign, specifically for this week, is to challenge me to prove the theory about food & acne is either right or wrong but since i don't have an acne anymore & i am eating healthily so i can't anymore... this time, i'm gonna pass the baton to you.

How important is a balanced diet?
I think there is one movie that can give you the gist about it... ever seen Supersize Me?
Of course, that would be overstating things but you know the difference at least.

Your diet could pretty much reflect everything about you... most especially your skin!

I know the time that i had my acne i was living a very unhealthy & sedentary lifestyle. I am just staying at home eating junkfood while watching lots & lots of animes & movies. I also sleep really late at night..or rather make that morning. I sleep the next day 6am at worst! That's also the time when i mostly got into drinking those bottled green tea thinking that it's healthy (but it's not!it has loads of sugar on it!). I also don't get to exercise that much (still is my problem up until now but i do try to exercise naman compare with before) so the end result of that is very very obvious to my skin & body. I feel & look so ugly back then that i feel no make-up could even cover.

I am trying to live a healthy life now & i make it a point to eat a balanced diet. I love eating vegetables. My mom could attest to that. Every time we would have fried food my next question would be "don't we have any vegetable dish?". I'm even ok with just tomatoes.. just as long as i have something to counteract the oiliness from the fried dish.

But hey, even that didn't spare me from having acne. So, does diet really have something to do with acne? I'll tell you my deep health secrets so make sure you pay attention because you might be like me too...
Let's try & debunk a couple of some myth that had been circulating around when it comes to food.

I'll not go into details about each & every food because i think there are better articles about it that you can read like:
Can foods make you break out? at webmd.com
Clear Skin Diet:Food that bring acne relief at mnn.com
5 foods that cause acne - make sure that you read the first sentence in this article,ok? this title could be misleading

I would really like to share something about the relationship of sugar & acne but i don't dare to (yet!) because i would like to be able to talk with an expert first before i go publishing something about it. Don't worry, hunnies, i'll make it a point to interview someone (a doctor specifically) to enlighten us about the relationship of sugar & acne. I'll just be linking that post to this once i've done it.

I'll just be sharing my personal opinion about food & acne based on my experience. I'll just be talking about the topic that i'm familiar with,ok? So i'll just be touching 3 things that i think most of you know but is either not aware or is just simply ignoring. I am also challenging you to prove me wrong in my theory,hunnies.

Let's start...

WATER INTAKE


photo credit to cleanse & detox lifestyle
I am a great water-gulper.. is there such a word? lol!
Anyway, i really love to drink water...a lot! I even bought the Nestea Doblitro tumbler to monitor my water intake. I make that i drink at least 2 liters of water a day. But i know for a fact that during my pre & acne-days i am not drinking enough water.

You see, i used to have a stone lodged in on my left kidney years ago. I was forced to double the amount of my water intake at that time & you know what i noticed when i increased my water intake? My hair grew pretty fast & my nails too! I don't have a scientific basis for this mind you, but that is what i experienced. I mean i have read somewhere that hair is made up of 5% water or something to that effect... the only thing that im certain is that water is just important.

I do not drink any sugary beverages. My doctor advised me not to since i have a high-risk in diabetes coming from a family of diabetic so i am always on the struggle to lessen my sugar intake.. which means no sodas, juices, etc. I can't even eat sweet fruits. *sigh* I can only intake water... so is that a reason why i am a fan of water? I have no choice! LOL!

Water is great for flushing the toxins out of the body, together with an increased fiber intake & you sure are doing your body a great favor! Since i already know my skin almost inside out, i can literally see if my water intake is not enough because i can really see how dull & "thirsty" my skin looks. I also make sure that i double check the color of my urine to see if my water intake is enough.

CHALLENGE 1:
Can increasing your water intake really make a difference to your skin?

I am challenging you, all, to drink as much water as you can. In my case, i can drink more than 2 liters of water a day... that also means frequent visit to the loo, but who cares?! I can see that my skin looks great! I make it also a point to drink as soon as i wake up.

SALTY FOOD

Now this is my weakness...
I love junkfood!
I love chips, canned foods, instant foods, etc. so much it's not funny anymore. Prepackaged foods are heaven sent! hahaha. No wonder i had a kidney stone. hehehe

But did you know that salt is not really related to acne?
Just check it out here

Why did i include salt then if it's not related to acne?
I would just like you to know that most salty pre-packaged foods that we (or in this case I) love is laden with other things that could be the culprit to acne... or worse to other serious health-concern. Allergens that one person could have a bad reaction with could be present in those pre-packed that we love so much. Again, sugar is mainly present.

The nutrition facts at the back of those have a purpose.
Check it!
Too much sodium is not good.

DAIRY PRODUCTS

Ok, another health confession... I have a high-blood pressure.
My dairy intake is limited.
*sigh*
I can only go for low-fat or non-fat dairy products, which tastes awful! hahaha! Fat is delicious, you know! Even my doctor student admitted that. Can you imagine croissant without the rich taste of butter?
*groans*
OMG! The thought of butter croissant is making my mouth water as i am typing this... it's been too long! T_T

Anyway, going back to the topic...
There has been a link that has been found out that acne & the allergenic proteins from milk could be the culprit to acne. I'll not murder the explanation about it so i will just link this article so that you can read about it.

I'm sorry but i really can't remember if my milk intake, the time when my acne flared, was too much. The only thing that i know is that i love dairy products.. im talking about full-cream milk, heavy cream, soft cheeses, butter, etc. I can even munch a whole block of cheddar! When my doc told me that i have to limit my intake, it was like a dynamite was put on my "happiness" crate. hehehe

So, right now...
I am on a low-sodium, low-fat, high-fiber diet that i was forced into & i can really see the effect that it has on my skin. My skin is supple & smooth. I don't want to sound like i am really beautiful but after what i've been to on my acne-years, my skin now is something that i am really loving. I can go out without make-up anymore. This i think is really mainly because of my diet.

Again, i do not use any anti-aging creams or moisturizers that could alter my skin. Heck,i do not even use sunblock! I know, i know, i know... that's not good. I will be paying later on in the future because of that but i really do try to put on sunblock if i remember it. hehehe.

I think what i have right now is just because of what's happening in my body through my diet. I mostly eat vegetables, lean/white meat & fish. That sounds so difficult to do,no? But it really isn't! It is NOT!

CHALLENGE 2:
Take the healthy choice!

When faced with food choices, always.. & i mean ALWAYS go for the healthy choice. It doesn't need to be all-vegetables or something like that especially if you are not into vegetables that much, but what i want you to do is to start picking choices that would be more beneficial to you...

Appetizer: Green Salad or Cheese Sticks - Green Salad
Main Meal: Rice with sisig or Rice with sinigang - Rice with sinigang
Dessert: Cheesecake or fruit salad - Fruit Salad
Drinks: Chocolate milkshake or Fruit Juice - Fruit Juice

You get the gist?
It seems hard at first, but once you see & feel the effect, i assure you that you will just naturally go for the healthier choice even without you trying.

It's all about moderation...
Too much of something is too bad. With the kind of fast-paced life that we are having we tend to just forget about taking care of ourselves so we usually suffer in the end. It's really very easy to get lost in the aisle of the grocery & see the different arrays of instant foods which are so cheap! But again, they are not good for you. They taste great, i know, but they're not good.

I still eat chips, but i don't eat it everyday like how i used to. I can eat something sweet like frozen yogurt or heck, even ice cream! but i make it a point to monitor my sugar intake (not because im afraid of diabetes) just because im a firm-believer that anything of too much is bad, I hope that you would also be conscious of the foods that you eat.

Just please trust me on this... a healthy & clear looking skin is not just because of what you are using topically, it is mostly because of what you eat. You are what you eat. Your skin is the mirror for that. So take my 2 challenges. You'll lose nothing & gain everything. These challenges are not just simply about your skin, it's about your body as a whole.

Well, with this, i hope that my 2nd diary entry is helpful.
We will talk about insecurities on my 3rd entry.

Hope you'll have a happy weekend!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Friday, November 23, 2012

presenting...the new SM Accessories ambassadors

After the teasers that i gave you the past couple of weeks, here they are now in their full glory!


Georgina Wilson
Richard Gutierrez
Anne Curtiss
Xian Lim

SM couldn't have picked better people as their new ambassadors than who they have picked,no? They are just simply gorgeous!

Pls check out their twitter for a chance to win Php100k, now THAT is a great way to celebrate christmas!
I'm gonna leave you with this...


Have a happy evening!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Acne Diary - Entry 1: Nurture vs Nature

Now, let's get to the serious acne talk that i had been talking about before. I'm sure by now that you have read my post about how I broke the breakout cycle & would want to know more about how to fight off acne. Now let's discuss the nitty gritty details about the idea behind it.

I'm actually a part of a blogging campaign whose main objective is to clarify common misconceptions about acne & skincare. It's called Truth Seeker. Since this is a mini series, expect more acne-related posts for the next couple of weeks, specifically every Saturday as i try to go over some of it.


Let's start first with analyzing & working with the type of skin that you have.
Have you actually asked yourself if your parents were acne-prone too? Did they had acne when they were at your age? I'll tell you later about what i found out when i asked my mum about it.

I made a little research about it & has read an article saying that based on some studies, genes could actually play a role in acne too. So if you want to blame someone blame it on the moon (lol!maiba lang-just to be different). I don't think there's no one to blame, really. I think we all know that teen acne is common. Most of my readers who email me are actually teenagers.

Teenage years, this is when hormones wreak havoc in our body. These hormones increases oil production. Over-production of oil will lead to clogged pores resulting to pimples. Severe pimples would already be classified as acne & among the different types of acne, Acne Vulgaris is something that im sure most teenagers are suffering from.

For those who doesn't have an idea how pimples happen, you can watch this short video that i found on youtube.


So, now that we got that out of the way, it's time for me to get personal...
*inserts the song 'it is well in my heart'*
.........
.......
......
.....
....
...
..
.
I know how most people like how i go to details because i really give pictures & don't worry, i won't crimp on this post. If pictures are what you want, then pictures you'll get! Of course, this is an acne diary! Good thing my mom agreed on me looking over her pictures & posting it.hehehe. So let me give you a peek about my parents & me.

Uy, masyado na tayong close ha! hehehe (We are already too close to each other)

Anyway,let's get on from the start so it would be my parent's first before me.
On to mi papa first...
Mi papa, according to mi mama (haha!just thought trying to be funny. lol), had suffered acne early on & that had left scarring on his cheeks & especially on his nose area but it stopped i guessed when he reached his early 20's.


I'm sorry but i can't find any teen pictures of my dad & this is the only picture that was left amongst the bunch. It may not be obvious here, but there are some scars on his nose area. Even i can't see it that clearly unless you have the picture in your hand & can scrutinize it but just believe me in on this,ok? hehehe

I've read tons of articles prior to this post about acne in general & had found out that acne in males usually happen during puberty years & mostly, if not disappears, calms down once they are past this age. Of course, this is not applicable to everyone. Women are more prone to adult acne then men.

Since my dad's acne had calmed down the time when he reached his adulthood, he was spared from too much scarring unlike my brother now (that's a whole new different story, i'll tell you about my brother's skin condition some other time as a part of this series so stayed tuned,ok?). Nothing much to tell since i don't have any pictures for comparison but that was according to my mum.


My dad is one of the typical vain guys who likes to have profile pictures taken like so as well. hehehe
At around the time that this picture was taken, his skin is pretty much ok.

Now, let's get to my mum.
My mum said that she suffered mild pimple attack before, a few zits here & there but nothing too alarming. Take note, im just using the word 'pimple attack' because my mum had clear skin ever since she was a teenager. Proof of this would be this picture...


Shoot, i forgot to ask my mum what was this coronation about but i think she said that she was chosen as like the muse in their barrio before. Doesn't she look pretty? (Yes, she does! She's my mum!)


Here is she dancing together with my uncle (her older brother). On a closer inspection, you might see a bump or two on her cheek area but she said that it was just one of the occasional zits that pops in every now & then.

Even on her wedding day, when a woman would mostly have a few zits because of being overly anxious because of the big day, she still had clear skin.


Way to go, momma!
That's my grandma right there...

Now, the only time that she had skin trouble was the time that she got pregnant.


As i'm sure you're aware of, a woman's body goes under tremendous hormone upheaval during these times. The sides of her face already has blemishes & a few on her cheeks too. I guess this was also the time when she developed sun spots.

Ahhhh... i think this post would be one of my favorites ever!
I can just imagine how i would look & feel like every time i will go over my blog just to reminisce & would see these pictures. This is the main reason why i want to keep my blog as personal as possible because this is my personal space. hihihi

As for my skin, i had clear skin when i was a teenager to early 20's like my mom.
Here's the proof...

I can't really remember how old (or young!) i was in this picture but i think i was somewhere between 12-14.
I didn't even know the word pimple back then!
Fast forward to my college years since that's the time when stress & everything usually catches up to a teenage's life...


I guess i'm just not pressured at all in my studies... or rather we were not pressured at all if our smiles would serve as indication. lol! Well, i wasn't even into make-up back then... not even baby powder.

I didn't know acne until i was already staring at it right smack in my face because i've had clear skin all through my teenage years & early 20's... see?


And even in my early blogging months...


My acne just started when i really got into make-up application.
I was so into it that i don't even have any idea if the products that im using are meant for my skin or what. Or maybe i was just too lazy in stripping ALL the make-up off of my skin after every application?
*sigh*

Regret really comes at the end,no?
but then... "Failure is the stepping stone to success" as what the saying goes so what i consider as a failure is something that worked good for me because i got so familiar & in tune with my skin that now i am finally able to say "been there,done that!".

So after that little peek into my & my parent's teenage years, i guess you can say that i was spared from the "hereditary acne", though that's not in my brother's case.

Even if acne is hereditary or not, we just simply need to find a way on how we can work that out. I found my own way after getting to know my skin. I listened to what my skin tells me & had acted on it. What my mom may have done during her adolescent years is most likely different with what i did. Ask your parents first how they addressed their problems. It's worth looking into what worked for them. There's no guarantee that that could really work with you but it's something that you have to reconsider.

The gist is this... Your skin is your own. Do not be fooled with what everybody is telling you to do. You need to work with what you have. Again, i stand with what i believed in. I did not follow any of those "SOP" that people had been telling me that i ought to do. I did what i think is best for me, not saying that im a pro or what,ok? I'm just working with what God has given me.

Things are very different from years ago.. our diet, activities, environment, etc. all contributes to what we are.These are some factors that you have to consider.

Ask yourself these questions to help you analyze what are the things that could be affecting your acne.
1.What kind of lifestyle do i actually have?
2.How about my diet?Am i eating healthy food?
3.Do i effectively manage stress? Am i getting enough sleep?
4.As to hygiene talk, am i able to make it a point to keep everything that touches my face clean?
5.What products do i use?
These are just some sample questions that you have to ask yourself in order to know what kind of skin you have, what factors that contributes to your acne & how you could find a possible solution to it... what things agree with you or not, not with the things that you "YES" for but your skin says "NO".

As what the saying goes, if there's smoke,there's fire. I guess that's also the same with acne, if there's acne, there's a cause. Find out all the possible factor, then act on it. You can bust acne with proper knowledge. I did it, so can you!

On my next post, i'll be talking more about the "acting" part.
For now, what i want you to do is to think about what i said. Start your journey as i go along this blog campaign. Don't forget to check my next entry on my acne diary this coming saturday.

Have a blessed Saturday!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

ps:
I didn't deliberately watermarked my pictures because i don't want anything marring my/their memories through these pictures. I don't think that someone would have the guts to actually use my own pictures for their personal use.

I'm gonna end this post with a picture of my parents earlier on.


And a little note to myself a few years from now...
Remember how happy they are in this picture, im sure you will be able to find happiness as well in every step of the way together with the person that you chose to be.
^_^

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Franken Polish:holographics + get to know the SM Accessories ambassadors

I do hang out at instagram most of the time & a dear friend tagged me about my workstation. At that time it was a mess but still decided to take a picture of it anyway. As i did so, i just felt like making holographic polishes when i caught a glimpse of my spectraflair so i made 4!

Actually it's more like 5..hehehe

My camera is just not cut out for capturing holographic polishes but i did try... I don't want to sound arrogant or something to that effect but my polishes look way better than the pictures. hehehe

I didn't even dare watermark it for fear that doing so may somehow affect the quality of my already-poor-image. I haven't named them yet though. I would have to think of a name. Y'all know that i suck at naming. hehehe

left to right: violet,green,blue & red

It's so difficult to take pictures... i don't want to tweak my settings just to improve the quality because i feel that i will be cheating not just you but also myself...


I made a short video to show how they look like... but i didn't realize that if i uploaded it on youtube its gonna look darker. :(
it's like a waste of time...


Then i made China Glaze GR8 even "greater" by adding spectraflair on it so now i already call it GR8TR. It's the one on the left, the right yellow holo was made by a very dear friend & she calls it Fever.

left: GR8TR right: Fever (not my franken)

Again, my pictures suck but they look awesome in person!


As soon as i can get more spectraflair i might make a few bottles to sell for those who are interested in getting holographic polishes specially here in the Philippines. What do you think? Will anyone be interested in buying a bottle? You know how it's almost impossible to buy holographic polishes here.

Or if not, then maybe just a holographic top coat.

left to right: franken-fine linear holo, franken-scattered linear holo
OPI DS Shimmer

This is the difference of the 2 Spectraflair grade that i was able to get. The one in the middle is better than the left one,no? The middle one looks almost like OPI DS Shimmer!

Here is a short video to see it better...

I love frankening polishes!
^_^
Have you tried making your very own mix of polishes?

On to the other hand....it's almost time to unveil who are the SM Accessories brand ambassadors!


By this time around, they have already been revealed on the event itself, but i wasn't able to go. boo hoo!


Tomorrow, ill tell you all who they are if you haven't guessed yet.

Hope you are enjoying your evening!
Jaa ne~!
^_~

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

blog commercials~

Just a short break from our usual program & giving you a heads up on what's new & what's hot~

Continuing on with the 4th ambassador of SM Accessories...


Here is the teaser video..


I think i have a fair idea who that is.. how about you?
Who is your guess?

Check out their facebook fan page to find out how to be one of the lucky winner of their exclusive event & be 1 of 4 winners of P25,000.

Can't wait to find out who are they?
Just a few more days & you'll know.

And another happening that im sure you will find interesting is Sample Room.



Try Before You Buy. Who wouldn’t want to try the product first before buying them?
Sample Room is here to give you that option. And this is their inspiration.


Sample Room is a sampling site that banks on the power of free product sampling. It is an online community that changes your beauty-shopping pattern; and an interactive community where your opinions matter and where all beauty lovers are valued.

You don’t need to:
- Take a risk at a full-sized product that may not work for you or may give you an allergic reaction
- Rely on reviews alone that might not jive with your skin type (as you get to try the product yourself)
- Waste money on a product that might not work for you.

You will be able to:
- Patch-test, and road-test the product you are interested in purchasing- if the product suits you and works well with your skin
- Experience the product, and decide after finishing a sample size if the product is right for you
- Read reviews from consumers who have the same skin type as yours
- Enjoy your purchase, as it is a well-researched and well-informed purchase. Definitely value for your money!

 I have always been curious of that because it started way way back during my early blogging days. I just can't quite remember the name of this first sampling site that i know (or is it just a blog back then?) which has the name that goes like "my pretty lil pink box" or something to that effect.

So now that we have it here, maybe we will be able to find out more ways to discover products & at the same time gives us a chance to find out what works for us.

Anyway, you can add them up to find out the latest news about them if you are interested


I'm looking forward to this since this is something that i think is quite beneficial provided that you will really be able to get products that you have really wanted to try.

So, make sure that you check out their facebook because they'll be sampling soon!
^_^

Monday, November 12, 2012

starting my Acne Diary~

I'm planning to start a mini series on my blog about acne mainly since most of my new readers are being diverted to my blog because of acne-related stuff. I have received tons of messages & emails from my readers asking me about my blog posts. I'm really stoked every time i read them because it makes me feel like a part of each & everyone.

It's quite overwhelming to answer everyone so i am hoping that this series of posts that i'll be doing for the next couple of weeks would be helpful. I am of course standing up to what i said about getting to know your skin. I learned it the hard way to always make sure that you go with the basics & do not let others dictate what you thought is best for you.

I am glad to be included in a blog campaign to promote awareness about acne. I am hoping that through this,i'll be able to help you, all, in dealing with your acne problems.

You can check out my previous post about How i broke the breakout cycle for the meantime.

Hope that the acne series that i'll be posting starting this Saturday will be helpful. I'll provide a link on my FAQ page one by one.

Have a happy day~
^_^



Thursday, November 08, 2012

polish swatching just got easier...

... using peel-off basecoat.


Hey,are you talking about Essence peel off basecoat? Nope!
First & foremost, Essence is not available here in the Philippines so i can't easily avail of it how much i want to. Anyway, im too poor to afford international shopping spree right now so that's out of the question.

So, what do i use if i don't have Essence?
Well, that's all thanks to Elmer's Glue. You know i was really planning to use the title "The Wonders of Elmer's" but i figured that you won't even click the title on your dashboard & read my post so i just have to change it.haha!


Going back, now you don't have to worry about using glitter polishes.. finally!

I thought i hate glitter polishes..i really do but when i rearranged my stash, i was quite surprised to find out that almost half of them are glitter polishes! Huh! So much for thinking that i hate them. It's like it just sneak up on me.

Main reason why i hate glitter polish is that it is a pain to remove. Yeah, you can do the foil method, but, come on, how many of us are actually willing to do those extra steps? I mean cutting the foil into pieces then drenching the cotton with your polish remover then wrapping it it on your nails & covering them with the foil to soak the polish off, is just a hassle for me... or am i just just too lazy? probably the latter.hahaha!

Anyway, i hate soaking my nails with polish remover because my nails are already thin to start with, it peels & chip very easily, so exposing it to acetone just makes my problematic nails worse, so it's not an option.

Not anymore!
Now i can don glitter polishes how often i want to & it's all because of Elmer's.


For ALL your needs, it says, & i think i can agree on that. lol!

It's just simple, you apply it on, wait for it to dry then apply your polish. Simple as 1-2-3!


See?
hahaha!
By the way, i only applied half of it to my nails so you can see that it dries completely transparent.

This is also handy when you go polish shopping. You just need to put glue on your nails before going out then swatch all you want! How awesome is that?!

I don't think i need to elaborate more about this one so i'll just shut up & let you try this out by yourself. Make sure you try it. Just borrow it from your little bro/sis or your kid & see the wonders of elmer's.

Here is my full glitter mani.
I did a glitter ombre effect & it was difficult because i had to stick them on one by one just to achieve a nice gradation. tsk!


I love how sparkly this is!
Once the sun hits this, you'll be blinded by the radiance of the glitters. hahaha!

Now comes the removal part...


ta dah!
Easy as pie!
Anyway, why did i say 'easy as pie'? I haven't even made any pie yet... i don't think it's going to be as easy as how i mostly see it on the videos. hehehe

Well,i guess that's it!
You need to try this out to see for yourself.
Ok, im off to do some grocery shopping. ta ta!

Have a happy day!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

accessorizing yourself the SM way~

It's already the 7th of November & it's just 9 more days before the unveiling of the roster of new endorsers that SM Accessories have. Are you excited?

I don't know if this little banner will help though... hehehe


On we go to model number 3...
Im sure that he will make your heart aflutter!


Again, don't forget to check out their Facebook fan page to join in their contest & get the chance to be one the lucky 4 to win P25,000 & a VIP pass on their launch event!

SM is also having their biggest & grandest luxury sale event, PRIVADO. A three-day luxury sale of branded eyewear, watches and jewelry from Nov. 16 to 18, 2012 in all SM branches NATIONWIDE. Featuring items from over 100 hot brands…Escada, Timex, Roberto Cavalli, Esprit, Police, Tommy Hilfiger, Citizen, Armani, F&C, Kenneth Cole and a lot more!


Up to 50% off on these luxury brands, plus 20% discount with your SM Advantage, SM Prestige, or BDO Rewards card or when you are a SMART Rewards member or when you are a Citibank cardholder. See poster for more details.

So mark your calendars for this sale. It's time to bring your wardrobe to the next level by accessorizing!

Hope you all are having a great day!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Believe in B.liv's Dump Off Drawn! I do!

I was contacted by B.liv weeks ago to try out their products. I have been so lazy in applying any skin care products lately that I can alrea...