Monday, May 31, 2010

Dr Jart+ Philippine Launching Event

Last Saturday, i went to the launching of Dr.Jart+ BB Cream in the Ayala Museum. For those who doesn't know what is a BB Cream, i made an introduction of it HERE, feel free to read it. This is the first event that i was able to attend & it was a fun experience.

Dr. Jart+ BB Cream is what i wanted to try before when i first learned about BB Cream because i heard a lot of good feedback about it saying that it is really addressed for acne-prone. Even Sis Gracie told me to give it a try seeing as how other BB Creams didn't work for me. But since i wasn't willing to spend so much on the shipping fee, aside from the fact that it's expensive, i have never tried it. So even though im not really fond of going out & said to myself that i won't try BB Cream for the time being, but the lure of Dr.Jart+ is too great that i said to myself that i would really attend come what may. 


I asked a friend to come with me since i was reluctant to be there alone since i don't know what to expect... When we were at the registration i was given a warm welcome by the event coordinator, Edwin Torres. I was actually thankful that he was there to assist us since i don't have the faintest idea about what to do & to expect.

We arrived on time, but it looks like we are too early, so my friend & i just strolled along the mall. We went back after an hour but it still hasn't started so we just took some pictures while waiting...


Then finally it started...


It was hosted by the lovely Isabel Roces, who i have always thought as a filipina version of Angelina Jolie.



Here is the Bellemaru Corporation President's Joel Lozada giving us a welcome & telling us how proud they are in introducing Dr. Jart+ to the Filipinos.

Did you know that Dr. Jart's name is actually derived from the initial of the medical specialist Dr. Sung-jae Jung & the word 'art' which connotes the brand's core value of healing & nourishing the skin? I think that is actually a good name!

And what's more is their availability...
You can purchase it at selected Mercury drug outlets! That's great news,isn't it? One of the most sought-after BB Cream is already available here in the Philippines & you can purchase it at Mercury drug?! Shut up!

Let's start with their best-selling BB Cream, the Dr. Jart+ Detox Healing BB Cream Black Label...


It has spf 25 for sun protection, chamomile extract to soothe blemished skin, allantoin that adds life to the skin by providing moisture all the while evening out the skin tone. This is specially made for those that got dry skin though...

SRP: 50 ml - P1,940; 15 ml - P 845

As for the other variants, they have the:


 from right to left: Water Fuse BB Cream (Green label), Rejuvenating BB Cream (Silver label)
& the Premium BB Cream (Gold label)

The Water Fuse BB Cream (Green label) provides rich moisture to the skin while providing a clean, natural finish. It has a groundbreaking water holding system that maintains healthy moisture level for the dewy look. It also controls sebum production. I think this is suited for those that got normal skin.

SRP: 50 ml - P1,975

The Rejuvenating BB Cream (Silver label) perfectly conceals blemishes with a matte finish. It has a sebum controlling function that addresses excessive oil production & albutin that also gives the skin a brighter skin tone. Now this one is good for oily skin like mine...

SRP: 50 ml  - P1,780 / 15 ml - P740

Then the Premium BB Cream (Gold label) that contains antioxidants to enhance skin's elasticity & improve skin texture. It got a whopping spf45 that isolates both UVA & UVB for better protection. This is suited for mature skin types.

SRP: 40 ml - P3,160

Those are the different variants of BB Cream that they offer.

Now on to the event....


Together with Miss Isabel Roces is the the brand manager Miss Marah Benin. There was a demonstration of how it is applied & how it looked like afterward with their lovely model.


The model looks real pretty,ne? This is after the application of the product. No whitish cast in the pic, right? Hmmm...this BB Cream really do sound so promising!

Then a program followed giving us an overview of each BB Creams. Some models even hit the runway donning Jun Escario's ensemble. 


After the program, we sought out Edwin to thank him for the accommodating us.I would also like to thank Miss Camille Chee for inviting me. It was a great event & i thoroughly enjoy myself!

Thanks again Miss Camille & Edwin!
^_^

Have you tried this BB Cream yet?
Let us know!

Hope y'all have a great start for your week,lovelies!
Jaa ne~!
^_~

ps:
I'm not sure when i'll be using the BB Cream though. Maybe once my skin has stabilized & is not overly oily anymore, i'll try using it. Of course, i'll you all know how it works on me.. if it will actually work for me.

I'm about to have a giveaway & im very excited. I'll let you all know about it after a couple of days.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner Review

As i've been loving the "no make-up" make-up look on which the main point is to define the eye, a good eyeliner is a must. Since i mostly use liquid liner for the lining the top part of my eye there's no problem with it, but then i have a little trouble looking for a good eye pencil that i can use for tight-lining.

I used to love Lancome's khol eyeliner for it can really give that intense black, but i lost it & i was able to find a good substitute for it which is the Ever Bilena Eyeliner Pencil. The EB eyeliner pencil is also smoldering black & it's great to wear especially if you are going for a dark smokey eye make-up. The only problem that i encounter is that lately,my skin went from oily-to-extremely oily because of the super hot climate that we have here. On which, when i wore eyeliner & it smudges, i mostly end up with a raccoon eye.

When i bought the Revlon Colorstay foundation, i also bought the Colorstay eyeliner since the SA said that it stays really long & won't smudge on you. I let her sales-talked me on which i ended up buying it too. I have been using it for quite sometime so i think it's time that i give a feedback about it.



Revlon® Colorstay™ Eyeliner glides on adding drama and definition to your eyes. Waterproof formula won’t smear, smudge or fade for up to 16 hours.
Available in 8 shades.

Won't smear,eh?
hmmmm....

Won't smudge,eh?
hmmmm....

Won't fade,eh?
hmmmm....

It's an automatic pencil & what's great about it is that it got a sharpener at the end so you can sharpen it when you need to. I'm terrible in using it though for i always end up breaking the liner instead of sharpening... but after chopping half of it off from too much clumsiness, i was able to finally sharpen it.

I purchased this mostly because i need a good liner for tightlining & waterlining.

Let's let the pictures do the talking from now...

I tightlined my eye, making it sure that i only apply it at the top since i want to see if it will really stay on. Sorry about the brow..wasn't able to pluck prior to this.

I left my lower lash line bare so to know if it will smudge later on...


Again, i only apply it at the upper waterline. I did not apply any liner at the top, so it's only mascara.


I went out shopping... after 4 hours of grueling torture because of the heat & pollution, this is how it looked like afterward.


So, what do you think?
Did it stay true to its promise?

Let's take a closer look..


Hmmm...
Ok, i'll let you be the judge of that. Tell me what you think about it..did it stand to its claims?

But take into consideration this information before you decide for yourself:

  • I have a very oily skin
  • It was super HOT during the time that i tested this (like it was 35 degrees)
  • I teared a bit because someone accidentally blew cigarette smoke on my eyes (then the next day, i develop a sore throat already -__-")
I prefer pencils due to hygienic purpose. I feel like i can really get rid of dirt & whatever it is i need to remove by disinfecting & sharpening it. It's super easy sharpening a pencil liner & won't require you to be extra careful (unlike with this one), just a few twist & you're done.

It's just that with automatic liners, it seems harder to disinfect it. Call me OC, but isn't it when we twist it so much & expose it to air, we risk it? So how the hell can we easily clean it? What if you didn't know that it got germs that can lead to eye infection & since we don't know how to fully disinfect it we got some of it on our eyes?

When i disinfect pencil liners, i dip the tip in the alcohol, wait for it to dry then i sharpen it. Then i dip the tip again, wait for it to dry then put the lid on. I'm only this clean freak on my liners since they are the ones that i use near my eyes. It's better to be safe than sorry,ne?

Since i want to hear what you think, i'll skip the usual pros & cons.
Colorstay liners are priced at Php 475 (approx $10) each at leading malls.

Wanna know what i think about it?
Maybe my picture will tell you what i think about it..


Don't forget to tell me what your verdict are,hunnies

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Jaa ne~!
^_~

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Etude House VIP Girl Lipstick Base Review

This is the first lipstick base that i have tried and since i know how a face & eye primer works, i have a high expectation for this product. Thinking that this would actually make the colors appear brighter, lipstick stays longer & so on...but much to my disappointment, it didn't...

If you wanna know the details, then read on..if you don't & just want to know my verdict..well, i'll tell you...

This is a waste of money,hunnies...
Daikirai~!
(-_____-")

Why so?
Let's get to the itty gritty details of how i came to hate this product.

This was included in the Peach Spring Collection last year on which they include items with hot pink packaging.


This is how it looks like...



Im not exactly a fan of hot pink though...



I hate the packaging.


It's in a squeeze tube...
Instead of a screw-type lid, it's a pull-off type where it has the tendency to spill if you're clumsy like me, which it definitely did on me.
("___")

You apply it like so:

vip_lipbase_ss

Now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about the product.

It's creamy pink fluid with a mild scent. It's suppose to lighten the lips so that when you apply the lipstick the color would be more bright & can last longer...or so they say.

The scent is not bad, i think it's actually nice. I just can't exactly describe it because it's not flowery nor fruity. It smells good though, not overpowering that when you apply it the scent won't linger & would actually disappear afterward.


When applied on the skin it would have that subtle hint of iridescence...like what you see on the pic...


Let's do some swatches to see if it makes a difference. I picked different formulas of lipstick for this purpose.


1. MAC Ultra Elegant - Slimshine
2. MAC Viva Glam Gaga - Lustre
3. MAC Mac Red - Satin
4. MAC Blankety - Amplified Creme

I swatched it on the part where i applied it, the top part doesn't have the base & the bottom part has the lipstick... Do you notice any difference?



I don't!

Well, considering that this is a lip base, i should be applying it on my lips instead.
So let's try it...


I put it at my lower lip & left the upper lip bare so that we get to see if it makes a difference on the lip color.

Let's start it first with my favorite nude lipstick, Blankety. It is an Amplified Creme which means that it's rather opaque but still creamy in texture.


I think there is a slight difference, though not something that is really very obvious.

This time let's try it with a red lip color with Satin formula (semi-matte) & see if it would still make a difference.

Sorry if it looks uneven since i just swiped it without even bothering to look at the mirror...let's just focus on the color,shall we?



Any difference?
Maybe a little..but in reality there's not much difference between the with & without. They just look the same.

I have been using this as much as i can & lately i notice that my lips are chapping. I thought that it's just because of the humid climate that we have here. So i applied Nivea nightly to bring back the moisture. But i still notice that my lips are getting drier & drier until such time that my lips just cracked & bled.

This is the first time that that happened to me! I had never had my lips cracked open & bled before. That's the time when i decided to not put anything on my lips & wait until it gets all better. Everything is going on fine until last saturday when i met with Lea that i used this again & notice that my lips starts to chap again...to think that i used a lip balm underneath! This is one nasty monster!

grrrr!!

I'd rather use the lip concealer compare to this one.

The lip concealer is creamy so even if it's a concealer it won't dry out your lips as much as the lip base does. I was thinking that since the base is fluid, the moisture from the lips are being sucked dry by the formula itself, 'prepping' the lips so that the lipstick would stay longer.

When we think about it, if you apply a foundation on your lips it would make the surface dry so that the lipstick would be able to cling to it.

But in my case, since i have the type of lips that chaps a lot, this won't do. I have a habit of licking my lips whenever i feel that it's drying therefore i ended up eating the lipstick instead. I'd rather use a lip balm as my base since it doesn't make much of a difference, plus the fact that it doesn't make my lips feel dry.

As for this making the lipstick last longer, i don't really know for sure because just like what i said it kept me licking my lips so i ended up eating my lipstick & reapplying it every now & then. One thing is for sure, if i want to consume my lipstick faster than any i have tried, this is the perfect product to use.

Am i impressed?
Hell no!

Pros:
  • cheap
  • has a mild scent
Cons:
  • packaging sucks
  • formula sucks
  • application of lip balm prior to using IS A MUST
It's priced at Php 298 ($6.50 approx) each.

Now if you have the sort of lips that doesn't dry & chaps as much as i do then feel free to give this a try, but if you suffer from dry lips, i suggest that you just skip this & buy a lip treatment instead.

Have you've ever used any lipstick base?
Care to share?

Hope you find this useful!
Have a great day,y'all!

Jaa ne~!
^_^

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Etude House haul

I went to the mall a couple of weeks ago to buy some necessities for my vacation and was glad that Etude House had opened a branch in SM Manila. I wasn't really planning to buy a lot of stuff since i decided to stop myself from hauling but the fact that Etude House is just near me now and i can visit it whenever i want to got me so giddy that i ended up buying a couple of stuff.


I was looking for a good sunblock and i saw that their Perfect Proof Sun Guard has spf50+ PA+++. I seriously don't have an idea what is the meaning behind that PA+++ thing, but the fact that it is spf50 is already enough for me to buy it. They actually have 2 variants of this sunblock, the other is a pink one & it got whitening properties whereas this blue one is water/sweat proof. Since i'm gonna go swimming so i just have to grab the blue one.

I am about to ran out of my favorite make-up remover so i thought about trying out their lip and eye make-up remover. I have the mascara remover which i don't like, that's why i put it up on my blogsale, but i would still like to try this. Then i grabbed the Baking Powder Facial foam just because i like the scent. It has that clean, citrus-y (like pomelo) scent that i like so much so i added it on my cart.

Then i saw that they have a lipstick base. I have never tried a lipstick base yet, except for my lip concealer so i added it too same with the eyebrow kit. Then as i'm about to pay for it, i saw the super cute nail buffer & nail shiner that they had and i knew that i should have it because it's so girly! It makes me wanna feel like grabbing it every now and then just because of how cute they are...hehe

They gave me a free sample BB Cream, which i would never use since im scared of BB Creams and a folder with  Lee Min Ho as the model... hmmm...im not exactly into Korean hotties because im more into Japanese Ikemens..hehe

Reviews are soon to follow for some of the products that i have bought. For those who are near SM Manila, feel free to drop by at their store. it's a lot bigger than the main branch, which is in SM Megamall. A lot more space to move around!
^_~

Do you have a favorite Etude House product?
Care to share?

Have a great day!

Jaa ne~!
^_~.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Weekend nails: zebra nails with a twist

Another nail design post..

i'm trying to catch up with my posts even though i know that half of my readers are not even aware that i have began blogging again because im having some issues about posting. I can't use draft.blogger.com easily. There are some times when i can't upload pics...
-__-"

i think i have to revert back to the old dashboard
*sigh*

But you know im beginning to get annoyed because of the problems that im encountering in blogger.
(-___-")

Ok, on to the nail design

I sported this look when i took a vacation last weekend. I just decided to have a different nail design & was doing some random nail designs when i experimented on this one. I think it looks pretty nice..


Things needed:
  • base color of your choice
  • brush with thin bristles/nail art pen (i used an artist brush 3/0)
  • black nail polish (for making stripes)
  • glitter polish
  • base & top coat

Let's start:
  • As usual, start with a base coat. Let it dry then apply your base color. I chose silver base color this time.


  • As soon as the base color is dry, apply a strip of glitter polish like so...


  • Once is enough, it will serve as a guide on making stripes so you know where to stop. you can just reapply later on if you want it more glittery.


  • Take the brush then dip it into a black nail polish (or just a black nail art pen if desired)


  • Then make small random lines. Take your time, it doesn't have to be perfect, that's the key in doing a zebra print design. The more random it is the better.


Then if you want to add more glitters then do so! Don't forget to use a top coat to make your art last longer.


And with that, you can flaunt your new nail design. I can assure you that this is a very fun nail design & it will make you stare at your nails for sometime.

I made a video for those who want to see how i paint the stripes on



Hope that you'll try this design!
Have a great friday, mina-san!

Jaa ne~!
^_^

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

do you buff your nails?

I do!

Actually i used to have brittle nails before so i never did have to buff them, but since my nails had gotten stronger, buffing is a way to make application of nail polishes easier & smoother. Does it really make a difference?
Let us let the pictures do the talking this time.

Our nails are not really a very smooth 'canvass' to paint on. They would develop ridges as it grows..like so


Sorry about the dry cuticles... I wasn't that much aware that it looks that bad..LOL!

Anyway, these ridges won't really make a difference when you apply nail polishes. It will just be there & won't really be very visible, unless you sport a colorless nail polish. But it really makes an application of polishes easier especially if you used those frosted, one-coater, sheer-type of polishes. You won't need a thick coat polish just for it to look smooth.

Just think about it.
If you apply paint on a lightly crumpled surface, it will show unless you put a thick glob of paint on it, ne?

If you buff your nails, you have to find a smooth emery board/buffer. You don't need to use a coarse one since you just need to smoothen it out. I just buff my nails once every 2 months or just when i see the ridges appearing again.

I don't necessarily buff everytime im bored. Doing so will cause more harm than good for it will make your nail plate thinner. Too much buffing would also cause sharp edged-nails.Bu don't be afraid to buff your nails especially if you are about to don a french-tip nail look or just a simple colorless look. It would really make a difference!

The rule ' too much of something is bad' is applicable to anything and everything. And also, it's easier to remove polish when the surface is smoother. Removing polishes is easier especially if you follow it up with a good swipe of a nail shiner buffer.

Now, let's start..

Just lightly buff the top part of your nail to smoothen it out... just use a light touch. Swing your buffer back & forth to get rid of the ridges.


The 'dust' from the nail plate will look like so... Feel free to buff the sides of the nails to make sure that you really take ridges out.


Now, when you are done on the nail plate, you also have to buff the sides of the nails. Doing so will prevent chipping of nails. You have to make sure that you make the edge smooth so that if ever you accidentally scratch something there won't be a loose edge on it that can cause your nails to chip. Just do the motion that i drew on the pic.


There ya go!
You now have your nice, smooth canvass to do your nail arts.
^_~

Feel free to follow it up with a nail shiner buff too to have a polished look. As far as i know it doesn't hurt the nails..or even the nail bed. I have done this ever since i got into nail arts. But then it's up to you if you will do so. I will not recommend this to those that got brittle nails though.

How do you take care of your nails?
Do you also buff it?

Hope y'all have a great day!

Jaa ne~!
^_~



Monday, May 17, 2010

my Subic vacation (pic heavy)

Tadaima~!
^_^

Wow!
It's been a while since i blogged...
(-__-")

I've really been a bad blogger. But now i feel quite refreshed after my vacation & i feel like the blogging bug has caught me at last! There are tons of things that i want to share with you & for now i'll start with my recent vacation.

My family & i went to Subic for our long-awaited vacation. It's been a year since i was able to take a break from work that's why i really was looking forward for our trip.It was a 3 days & 2 nights break away from the hustle & bustle of the city. This won't be a beauty post but more of a personal post so if you're not interested it's ok to skip. I'll be keeping personal photos but i'll be sharing some...

I'll be taking you on a trip to Subic through my eyes.

Dewa, hajime
^_^

From the usual 3-5 hour drive that we had before from Manila to Subic, we took the SCTex (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway) & our travel time was cut into half. We arrived at Subic at around 8:00am (we left the house at around 5:30am) & since it was still too early to check in the hotel we decided to drop by at the Ocean Adventure.

We arrived there at 8:30 am. We had to wait for 30 minutes more since it opens at 9:00. While we're waiting we just lounged around & took some more pictures. We had to wait some more before the Sea Lion Show started so we just got around the area & went inside the Ocean Discovery Aquarium. There are a lot of fishes around & i tried to take some pics but i didn't do any justice to it since the room is dark & the colors of the fishes are so vivid, especially the corals.


I like this school of fish because they are so cute swimming together & where 1 fish goes, the others followed.


The fish on the left is really so colorful. It's a rainbow fish,i think.


I took a pic of this one because i saw a baby clownfish playing around it.The clownfish is there...Just zoom it in & see if you can find him..hehe.. the little fellow is somewhere at the left side. You'll get to see the stripe...


 As for this one...i was just fascinated with the squids... uh..i think it's octopus..or is it? what do you think?

After loitering around for some time, it was already time for the Sea Lion Show. Yatta!


 The staff had to make sure that the floor is wet for this is where 'Brandy' will be performing.

Presenting, Brandy the smart sea lion!


He was actually doing an introduction about the show that's why he is on the mic. Kawaii!

I don't have a lot of pics because i took videos, but im still not used to my cam so im not sure how to make it work just yet..hehe...So, i'll just be leaving you with this cute pic of him thinking...



After the Sea Lion show, it's time for the second show... so we went to the Eco Theater for the Walk on the Wild Side Show.


 It was a pretty nice show where there was even a mountain survival lesson demonstrated by 'Kuya Billy' (who is a local indigenous) showing the use of bamboo. It was pretty educational & fun too. Now i can survive the mountain..LOL!

They also got a whole bunch of animals & information about each of them. We were seated at the back so i wasn't able to take good pics of it...but i was able to touch this owl, took a pic of it & same with the fruit bat too!


Then after the Eco show, we head on over to the High Dive Show were we watched some awesome diving moves. It was already 12 pm at that time & the sun was already scorching hot!


Love their bathing suits! They all look so adorable with it. But i like them better with their swimming trunks on..hehe

The highlight s of the show are when one of them did a 80 feet dive & the other wore a cloak then set him on fire & did a dive! Sugoi!


By the time the dolphin show started i was not really that enthusiastic about it because it was really HOT! It was too humid that even if you are on the shade, the wind will still make you uncomfortable. whew!

But we still watched the dolphin show & they were amazing...they are also together with an orca (killer whale). Nice show!


We would love to linger a while but since it was already too hot we decided to head on to our hotel...

We have always stayed at Subic Park Hotel because it is so cozy & cute... very unlike the big, business-only type of hotels. I'd rather stay at a small one compare to those really big hotels where often times the staff may be polite, but there is all there is to it. Sometimes it doesn't seem like you are that welcome, unlike small inns or hotel where you really get to experience a first hand hospitality of the locals.


One of the great things about this hotel is that they have a pool at the back although they are already a couple of steps away from the beach.

It was low tide...& my brother & I went to take a stroll....



& we saw this weird sea creature.i don't even know what this is..



I think it's not a jellyfish though...but the body is jelly-like. Then my mum, dad & I went to Puregold Duty Free to shop to buy some basic necessities. Then spent the remaining hours at the room to rest...

The next day we spent the entire day swimming!



On the pool & also on the beach...

Went to church at around 5pm to hear mass. And went straight to Cubi to get a glimpse of the fruit bats..but we weren't lucky since we weren't able to spot a single bat...

But as we were driving along we saw a bunch of monkeys on the streets. I wasn't able to take a good pic of them though...just this one.


Then we went back to the hotel to chill out & walk on the shore... Actually before my little

As for the last day...
The rest of my family went swimming again while i just stay at the room because i sprained my right foot.
We spent the rest of the Sunday strolling the malls...went on a shopping spree!

I was able to buy a couple of great products at a very cheap price...


I bought the Tresemme Vitamin E shampoo & conditioner at Puregold Duty Free. I was contemplating at first if im going to buy it since im not sure if it will work on me & it would seem like such a big waste even if it's supposed to be cheap for it's quantity. I bought it for $16. It's just good that the dollar conversion in duty free is just Php44.80 at that time. In the end i just decided to trust the brand Tresemme... It was 1 of  those times where you said to yourself that this is the time where 'if this is good then i'll trust this brand forever..if it's bad, i'll never even look at it anymore'..it's the make or break time.

But i was happy because it worked on me when i tried it at first. It didn't dry my hair. In fact it made my hair softer. Yee haw!

Then we also dropped by at the Freeport zone & i saw some Goody hair clips for just a dollar. Which i can't believe since in our local malls, Goody hair accessories are priced for like $5 at the cheapest. So i grabbed myself a bundle of hair elastics & a ConAir Side Combs....plus the Calico Make-up remover pad...i can't remember the price but i know that it's under $5.

Then we went to Royal Subic Mall too & bought a boat load of snacks & chocolate. I went to the cosmetics section (& yes, they do have a cosmetics section now!) & was thinking of actually buying a back-up for my Colorstay foundation, but since i really don't wear a lot of make-up these days so i just didn't. but it's a lot cheaper there compare to the mall since it's just $14 per bottle. I just bought a Revlon Beyond Natural Mascara (which i will be including in my giveaway soon) and some wet wipes.

Pretty soon it was time to head on home... No matter how much i like Subic, nothing beats the good 'ol noisy & crowded Manila.

I hope that i'll be able to finish up the drafts that i had sitting on my board so that i'll be able to have something new for you guys to read. Until next time.

Hope y'all had a great start for your week!

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...