Weekend Haul:OPI Glam Slam

I went out last Saturday with Anonymouse to meet one of our best buddy when we were still in college in Market! Market!. It was such a great day since it has been like 6 years since i last saw her. I swear she looks like how she was when we were in college even though she already have 2 kids! OMG! I sure wish i could be like her...LOL!

Anyway, Sis Thriszha of Fab Ur Nails had asked me beforehand if i am interested in owning the OPI Glam Slam since i had said before on our FB Group that i'm dying to have it. I readily said 'yes' & that the honor would be mine. hahaha! The package arrived last Saturday so when i went home it was already waiting to be opened & by awed upon.

And awe is what i felt when i opened it! Thanks for the freebies, Moja! mwah! Ang dami! (It's a lot!)
Feels like it was christmas for me.hehehe
Love the glass nail file & everything!

This set made my heart skipped a bit when i saw how gorgeous they look... especially the Rally Pretty Pink!

I immediately swatched the Rally Pretty Pink & fell in love!

It looks uh-may-zing!
It's not really pink per se, but it's more of a purply, mauve-y base with gorgeous golden shimmer. It almost has that foil effect! This is just with 2 coats.

Together with the Red Shatter... excuse with the messy application though & also the quality of the pic. I took it just a few minutes ago.

I was a bit skeptical about this combination at first. I mean, it's red & shiny mauve so i thought it won't be good. It looks nice, but it's not heart stopping-ly good. The red shatter is a jelly. I was a bit surprised with it. I thought it would be a bit creamy like the other cracking polishes that i've tried.

I guess this is why the crack effect of this is way better than others out there. Shatter is the perfect word for it really has that shatter look than just mere crack.

You definitely have to apply a top coat if you use the shatter because it dries matte.

I also bought something from Lush in High Street last Saturday. I am actually not a fan of Lush (i like their Lemony Flutter though) but my quest for products that has cooling sensation lead me to it.

I feel nauseous everytime i drop by Lush because of the overwhelming scent inside. I can't last for more than 10 minutes on the store. I just asked the SA if they have a soap that has a cooling sensation she recommended the Ice Blue & the Demon in the Dark. The Ice Blue soap with it as minty & Demon in the Dark with peppermint on. But when i checked the description on the site it says that the ice soap is the peppermint one & the demon is the mint one...oh well, i'm not particular as long as it will provide me with a cooling sensation.

I like Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castille Soap because of it's cooling sensation so i just picked the Ice Blue Soap. I tried smelling it on the store but the overwhelming scent of the store masked the scent of this soap. When i went home & tried it i was so disappointed with the scent. It has that overwhelming powdery scent that grandmas love to use. I feel like this soap is the culprit to why the Lush Store smells so strong!

I will not make a review on it anymore but will just give my initial thoughts. I tried using it today & was doubly disappointed because it doesn't even have that cooling sensation. The scent lasted on my skin for hours. It could be good if you are a fan of the scent but since i'm not so i'm ditching this one.

To think this is so expensive!
I find prices in Lush to be expensive i guess that's why i'm not a fan. It's like a hit or miss. The soaps that i have tried have been the wrong ones so far. This one & the rose soap too (which i wasn't able to blog because that was the time that i reformatted my pc & lost all my pictures).I guess i ought to make a research first if i am planning to drop by Lush so i won't make the mistake of wasting my money on a bar that i won't just be using because it failed my expectations.
Tsk!

I will still use it for i don't want to waste it but i will definitely not be buying it anymore.

Even though i was terribly disappointed in my Lush purchase, the OPI set made up for it. I am so happy with my new toys that i think my week will even be lucky all because of my recent acquisition.hehehe

I really hope that this week will be lucky for i will be needing luck on Friday!
hahaha!

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

hair must-have: Pure Beauty Camellia Seed Oil Hair Care Treament Range

I have tried a lot of hair care ranges & i haven't found a lot that works for me. In fact, i only have a handful of products that had worked for me. I have tried a lot of shampoos, conditioners, hair masks/spas/oil, etc. & lots of others too but to no avail.

I am already beginning to get desperate because i can't seem to find something that works for me yet can be bought easily. I used to love The Face Shop's Changpo Shampoo & Conditioner but since my house is far from the main malls it's hard for me to buy it if i run out of it... plus the fact that it's not very budget-friendly had me continuing the search for another favorite.

In my desperate search i came across the Shiseido line. I had read lots of raves about the Shiseido Tsubaki but i am a bit hesitant about buying an expensive shampoo that might not work for me at all. Not all expensive products are fool-proof indication that it would work for you, i have had a couple of expensive products that didn't work for me but cost me a ridiculous amount of money. That made me wary about spending money on expensive products especially if it's not available here in the Philippines.

I saw this hair care line at Watsons before & i got mighty curious about it since it says on the Watsons price label  "Tsubaki". It's budget friendly so i decided to try the shampoo & conditioner first... then the hair mask... then the hair care oil.

As what i said, i tried the shampoo & conditioner first.. it worked for me instantly! I felt my hair softer & smoother the first time that i tried it. I thought that it might stop working after a couple of use so i didn't buy the other products yet but it stayed consistent. I love touching my hair every now & then so i decided to buy the hair mask... then a week after i decided to try the hair oil & now i have to say that this line is definitely worth blogging! They still have the Hair Treatment Essence Water, i haven't bought it yet though but i will definitely be buying it.

What exactly is Camellia Oil?

Tea seed oil (also known as tea oil or camellia oil) is an edible, pale amber-green fixed oil with a sweet, herbal aroma. It is cold-pressed mainly from the seeds of Camellia oleifera but also from Camellia sinensis orCamellia japonica. (excerpt taken from wikipedia)

Camellia Oil or what is called Tsubaki in Japan has been used not only for hair care but even for culinary. There has been lots of benefits from camellia oil which actually includes prevention of progression of skin cancers based on a japanese study. It is an excellent moisturizer, it moisturizes but it's not too oily.

It is said that Japanese Geishas soak their wooden combs in camellia oil so once they comb their hair they would be able to coat their hair strands with it.

I can enumerate lots of benefits based on my research but i fear that i'll bore you to death with all of those so let's just get to the read deal,ok?

Let's start with the shampoo & conditioner first.

Descriptions of both products...just click it to enlarge.

This works instantly!
You'll feel the result after use. You might not see the difference immediately yet but you will definitely feel it. Hair is a lot more softer & manageable! I can't believe i am actually using the word manageable to describe my hair now because i have always had a frizzy & hard to tame hair but this one is able to reign in my hair & tame it!

Then the hair mask...

Again, just click it to enlarge it.

I'm not that fond of this one though. It does work but it gave me a bad case of dandruff. boo!
But it really moisturizes the hair! My family went swimming last Tuesday & i was in the pool the whole day. Chlorinated water is definitely not hair friendly,right? I applied the hair oil every now & then so moisturize my hair but it wasn't enough for it wasn't as soft as it was before but it's still smooth though. I used this instead of the conditioner twice & my hair felt like it was reborn afterward!

Then this is the star of the lot for me!

I freakin' love this product!
This will really tame your frizzies! It will moisturize those hair shafts that you feel had died on you because of too much styling & heat exposure. If you are not sure about buying all of the range then it's ok but don't ever miss this one! This is the bomb!

I said that the shampoo & conditioner worked for me... i was satisfied but i didn't know what hair satisfaction really means until i used this! It transformed my great hair to perfectly marvelous & amazingly wonderful for just an overnight! If you click the pic, you'll see the instruction at the bottom that says you can use this in 3 ways. As a pre-shampoo treatment, after shampoo treatment & for styling as well.

I decided to just leave it on my hair overnight since i have been doing that for a long time now with olive oil just to keep my frizzy hair manageable (but to no avail!) so i thought that since this is a treatment oil then this would probably be even better than olive oil. And it is!

I am so in love with my hair now! I use it as pre-shampoo treatment & also as an after-shampoo treatment. Even though this is oil, it is not oily. It is very light & it would be absorbed by your hair after an hour or two leaving you with a baby-soft hair!

I will be buying lots of this as back ups in case this is limited.

OMG!
I can't live without this!
This serum saved my dying hair!
LOL!

Now i understand the hype about the Tsubaki line from Shiseido. If ever this would be phased out in the Philippine market, i would gladly spend hundreds of peso for Shiseido Tsubaki. But i don't see my wallet getting into trouble any moment from now since this line is locally available in Watsons.

Y'all know that i have curly/wavy hair. Ordinarily, I wake up in the morning with nice curls but stiff & lifeless hair. With the Camellia Oil, i now wake up with bouncy curls that feels so smooth & silky!

Yep, i just woke in the picture but i love my hair! This is the ultimate bed hair that i've always wanted... makes me feel sexy (though i'm hardly one!hahaha!)! Naturally curly without using any curling iron. Anyway, i hate how some girls would have that stiff looking curls which feels like they spent an hour on each curl.

I figured that this is the time to post this one up while the promotion for this is still ongoing especially to those that has the SM Advantage Card. If you purchase any one of this it would entitle you to a 100 points for your advantage card! Plus the mask & hair care oil are on sale!

I bought all of this using my own money & i am quite satisfied with this. I just hope that this is a permanent line though. This is definitely worth your money,ladies! especially the hair oil!

Here are the prices that i paid for each product: (i got them on a sale price)

• Shampoo is priced at 199 for a 500ml pump bottle
• Conditioner is priced at 199 for a 500ml pump bottle
• Hair Mask is priced at 149 for a 200g tube
• Hair Care Oil is priced at 183 (i think) for a 60 ml bottle.

They have the Essence Water too but i am already satisfied with my hair now so i'm not in a hurry to try it yet but i will definitely purchase it. It might seem a bit expensive at first but since you are going to get a 200ml product that could last you for a month or two (or maybe even 3 especially if you have short hair) this is definitely cheap in the long run.

Let's summarize...
PROS: 

• locally available
• true to its claims
• you get your money's worth
• packaging is awesome ( i love pump bottles!)

CONS:

• the hair mask gave me a bad case of dandruff

But this is something that i can easily solve. I deep clean using an anti-dandruff shampoo so it's not a big deal for me. I can live with it as long as i can have that sexy hair that i've always wanted!

Though for now i stopped using it since i am still in the process of deep cleaning ( i do deep cleaning for a whole week). Whenever i deep clean, i use an anti-dandruff shampoo & conditioner for the whole duration to make sure that no residue is left so that my regular hair products would work. But i already consider this line as staple!

Try to take advantage of the promo that they are having,ok?

Have you tried a tsubaki shampoo?

If not, then i recommend that you do.

Once you try it, you will never go back!

Hope you all will have a great weekend,hunnies!

Jaa ne~!
^_^

rants & ramblings: removing unwanted body hair

note:
i had this up the last time but since blogger did a maintenance that time it went back as a draft... so this is just a repost.

I'm sure that you all have their very own way of removing unwanted body hairs. Nah, this post won't be about my experience when it comes to hair removing. I think it would take a series of post just to share my experiences, i would just like to ask you all some questions...

Some like the painless way which is to shave... others opt for tweezing or threading... while some others who have a higher pain tolerance go for waxing... if you have lot of money to burn then just completely get rid of it by laser treatment. I have tried the first 4, haven't tried laser treatment though but i will try it one of these days.

I am very curious about Epilators. I remember watching lots of videos on youtube how it works & what to expect. It might be expensive at first but i guess in the long run it will save you more money so it will be a good investment. I have had waxing sessions before though it's not that expensive but if we will talk about the accumulated amount then it would tantamount to a small fortune already... not counting those countless DIY waxing kits & strips, razors & depilatory creams (which was just a waste of money!) too.

Which makes me think... why is it that i never put epilators on my priority list ever since i first heard of it?!
Stupid me! I could have saved my hard earned money if i did before...
*sigh*
Anyway, now it's already on my priority list.

I just wanna ask, how do you remove unwanted body hair?
Do you go to a salon or do you just do it by yourself?

Have you tried an epilator?
Hope you all have a great day/evening!
^_^

Jaa ne~!

Spotted: San san's Soleil Nail Collection

Another spotted products that i just think should not be missed. I passed by HBC the other day & i saw some striking yellow cosmetic packagings that literally screams summer. It's their current collection which they call as Soleil, which would be the French word for Sun.

I have tried their pressed powder before (regular line) & it was ok. I tried it during my pre-make-up days so i didn't know what's the good & bad about face products but as far as i know it didn't give me any breakouts. I'll try & take a closer look at this brand again the next time i drop by.

Going back, I am totally digging these adorable babies! The bottle is really so cute! That tall yellow cap is quite an attention grabber... but so are the colors,right?

Anyway, they only have 3 polishes in their collection which are the:

Right to Left: Moss Green, Canary Glow and Tangerine Burst

Ingredients list....

I'm happy to report that they are free from the big 3 toxic nail polish ingredients!

I just swatched it on a nail wheel though... I am trying to get rid of a nasty nail stain & i try not to apply polishes if i can help it to minimize it. So sorry if it looks very limited.. but i love this collection! I applied two thick coats just to make up for the small brush that it has.By the way, these are jelly finishes (except for the orange).

Canary Glow...

This is a very lovely yellow orange-ish kind of color. It reminds me of those sweet luscious ripe mangoes that are so juicy it melts in your mouth.

Moss Green...

This color reminds me of one of polishes from The Face Shop from the Lovely Me:Ex Collection which is the GR502 (Gosh, i hate the shade name of TFS polishes! so hard to remember!). They look the same on the bottle but quite different when swatched. I think this is the least pigmented amongst the three for even with the same thick coats that i did with the other two, it's not enough to totally cover the base. But it is still quite a lovely color!

Tangerine Burst...

My favorite!
I haven't seen a bright yet hot orange color like this. This is the most pigmented of all for you can just go with one thick coat. I love how deep this color really look. I haven't tried this for stamping but i will not be surprised if i can use this for stamping since this is pretty pigmented. I can't really think of a thing that i can compare this with for i think it looks quite unique.

It really reminded me of an art project that i did before when i was still in elementary where we have to melt our crayons then splash it on a paper to have that abstract look. The red-orange crayon, when melted, reminded me of this & how fun it was for me to do that art & make my very own abstract work. My mom had to buy me lots of crayons because i would go melt all of my crayons away!
LOL!

2 things that somehow makes me go "meh!" on this would be the brush, it is too narrow! It's so hard to get a good amount to cover your nails.

The other one is that when it is drying it gives off this weird semi-matte streaky look. It's a bit hard to explain but it's like there is just a streak or 2 of it being matte-ish while the rest is glossy. Anyway, you can easily remedy it by using atop coat. It's no big deal though. It doesn't take so long to dry either.

But with the price i pay for which is Php 30 (less than a dollar) for a 9ml bottle, i'm quite happy with the product itself!

If you are looking for a bright & funky color for your nails this summer season, make sure you check this one out,ok?

It's been a while but this is how my nails look like last weekend. Looks lame here but it's better in real because it's glittery. I used Del Sol's Ruby Slipper as my base, added yellow (not Canary Glow for i made this first before i went to HBC) on the sides & those star decals that glitters every time the light hits it.

What's your color this summer?
^_~

Hope y'all are having a great day/evening!
^_^

Jaa ne~!

WFTO Asia Invites you!

Let's take a bit of a break from the beauty blogging to share something with you. I received this invitation a few days ago but since my dashboard is acting weird, i wasn't able to post this.

I was so intrigued with the 100% guilt-free shopper that they are promoting. I was just thinking a few days ago that i have been spending so much & i do feel guilty with those things that i bought impulsively. Now WFTO is giving us a chance to change our shopping experience because every peso that you will be spending in this trade fair can make a change.

World Fair Trade Organization Asia (WFTO Asia) would like to invite 

you to the WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY: 100% GUILT FREE SHOPPER campaign 

launch on May 14, 2011 6 pm at Shangri La Plaza Grand Atrium, 

Mandaluyong City.

The 100% GUILT FREE SHOPPER campaign aims to inform the consumers that
they have the power to eradicate poverty, stop child and forced
labor, advocate for gender equality, support sustainability and
capacity building, safeguard the environment, promote equality in
trade, and open opportunities for health and education with a single,
conscientious purchase.

Many celebrities like Emma Watson, Sir Paul Mc Cartney and Annie
Lennox have been active supporters of Fair Trade. As part of the 100%
Guilt Free Shopper campaign, WFTO Asia will be introducing 12
personalities who’ll be the Ambassadors of Fair Trade here in the
Philippines. They are the following:

a. Jim Paredes (Musician, EDSA People Power Icon)
b. Patty Laurel (Model, Host, Preschool teacher)
c. Sanya Smith and Queenie Smith (Model and Singer)
d. Alyanna Martinez (Fashion Stylist)
e. Rosanna Aranaz (Fashion Blogger, Littlemissdressup.com)
f. Joaquin Valdes (Filmmaker)
g. Lawrence Antaran (Graphic Artist & Illustrator)
h. Yeb Sano and Desiree Llanos Dee (Commissioner and Advocate from the
Climate Change Commission)
i. Fran Tobias (DJ, RX 93.1)
j. Cathy Untalan (Miss Earth Foundation Exec Director, Beauty Queen)
k. Rick Manzano (Blogger, ProjectManila.com)
l. Jeremy Callegher & Shun Sasaki (Fair Trade volunteers from
France and Japan)

The campaign targets 1,000,000 switchers in Asia by the end of the
year. 1,000,000 people who realized that thoughtless buying isn’t
enough. 1,000,000 people who believes that they can use the power of
their purchase to change the lives of millions of disadvantaged
communities all over the world.

73 Countries. 5 Regions. 1 World united to BEAT POVERTY, BEAT CLIMATE
CHANGE, BEAT DISCRIMINATION, BEAT EXPLOITATION, BEAT IGNORANCE.

I might be dropping by since i don't have anything special planned this weekend.

Hope you all have a great day,hunnies!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Spotted: Caress Glow in the Dark Nail Polish

First of all, i want to greet all the mothers out there a "Happy Mother's Day"!. I think being a mom is one of the ultimate satisfaction a women can achieve. Raising a kid is no easy thing & a hearty salute to all moms out there who is doing a great job on raising their own family.

"Happy Parent's Day" to my Korean readers!
I know that they are celebrating this day to honor & praise not just mothers but also fathers as well. I think it's actually pretty nice because they just celebrate Children's Day last May 5, same with Japan for they also have Kodomo no Hi the same day.

I hope that today you would be able to have a good celebration together with not just your mothers/parents but with the whole family as well.
^_^

Moving on, another spotted item that i think is actually pretty nifty would be the Caress Glow in the Dark Nail Polish. I have 2 Glow in the Dark (GTD) polishes but i don't use it. Actually i got for the satisfaction of owning something unique like GTD polishes rather than for usage purpose..hehe

I'm actually quite happy to know that our local polishes have a wide array of choices already! Remember the Holographic polishes from Bobbie, which i really love! I actually had it on the other day (Mudslide) & i can't help but notice a few ladies glancing on my nails.

Anyway, here is the said item...

 As for the ingredients...

I don't think that these are the only things in this bottle... come on, Caress!
@_@
I am wary of buying something that has a very limited list of ingredients knowing very well that it could have a lot more stuff inside...

These are the 2 GTD polishes that i own. I am actually digging the bottle of the right most polish just because of the cap...hehe

Back to Caress, Tt does glow in the dark but my camera can't take a freakin' GTD shots...
I'm sorry for this pic...

I know it looks lame but that's the best my camera came up with...I did swatch it on my nails but since my camera can't even take a decent photo of the bottle, how much more my nails.

Suffice to say, this polish had actually exceeded my expectation. It looks better in real than this lame picture, just take my word on it. Anyway, it's pretty cheap, a bottle only cost me Php 34.95 (less than a dollar). If you are looking for a funky polish to go bar hopping but doesn't wanna spend too much then this would definitely be a nice item to own.

Have you tried any GTD polishes?

Have a great Mother's/Parent's Day Celebration,hunnies!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Summer Saver:Nivea Sun Immediate Protection Sunblock

If before, you can still go out of the sun without bothering to put your sunblock on, this time it's different. The sun's rays is so intense that you can literally feel it burning your skin in just a matter of seconds.

Sunblock is summer must-have, no doubt about it!

But then, what if you are on-the-go & doesn't have the time to wait for 20-30 minutes for your sunblock to fully protect you? Now, you don't need to worry about that anymore. Nivea already offers immediate sun protection so you can be on-the-go asap!

This is their facial sunblock.

I have tried this & i'm glad that i didn't experience any break outs though i don't use this regularly because i prefer to use the sunblock gel that i have been using as my main sunblock ever since but if im in a hurry, this is what i'm using.

Body sunblock...

Offers SPF 50 PA++ which is definitely needed this summer.
It's also said to be water-resistant so it's good if you are planning to go swimming.
weeee!!!!!

They also have the After Sun Spray...

It gives a soothing relief after being exposed to the hot sun... doesn't have a cooling sensation though..hehe. Y'all know how addicted i am to cooling sensation.hehehe

I went to Watsons yesterday to take a look at the price..but stupid me, forgot to write it down on my notes. Anyway, the price range of these would be somewhere in Php 250-450, depending on the quantity/bottle.

I think it's not expensive considering that you will be getting a high SPF plus it is readily absorbed by the skin to give immediate protection. It's definitely worth your money!

I might do a review on this sometime but for now i like it. No other sunblock in the market (that i know of) offers immediate sun protection so this is definitely a keeper!

Do check this out especially now that the heat is unbearable!

Hope you all have a great,hunnies!
Jaa ne~!
^_^


ps:
product sent as a part of their press release. I did not receive any monetary consideration for this post. Opinions shared is personal view & is no way influenced by the company. 

rants & ramblings: great food or good ambiance? I'll go for FOOD!

I have not dined in a restaurant that made me think that i am the best cook ever because the food tastes so bad. I expect that if i go in a restaurant i will have a nice experience with good food & good ambiance, especially the food. I eat out to satisfy my appetite. I'm sure it's the same with you, right?

When i'm hungry i eat anything that's served on me without any complaints.. especially if it's a home cooked! But if i go to a restaurant that charges a pretty penny i will definitely expect the best... food & ambiance. I will not settle for anything less.

Well, it goes to show that there are restaurants out there that just focuses on one. If it's not the food, it's the ambiance.. well, i'll always choose the food compare to ambiance but this time it was the other way around.

My brother just graduated from his Engineering course last week & we just had to celebrate. The ceremony ended somewhat late so we were in a hurry to go to a restaurant & eat for we are quite ravenous after the long graduation rites. I just remembered the Makansutra at Manila Ocean Park & suggested it to my mom. Since she hasn't dined there so she readily agreed. Minutes after we are already on our way.

It's been a while since i went to the MOP & i didn't know that it's not Makansutra anymore but it was changed to Makan Makan. It's still an Asian Food Village anyways so i thought that there won't be any big change. I was a bit surprised when i stepped in & it has this 'fine dining' ambiance on it already. As far as i remember before it has this crowded yet homey feel but then i guess that it would still be the same.

You'll get to see how your food is prepared so it's good. You're sure that they do take care of how the way they prepare it. The staff was very accommodating. It took us a long time deciding what food to choose but they patiently explained what each dish is consist of & how it would taste like. After spending for like 15 minutes looking at the menu, we were finally able to pick out our orders.

Well, the good experience ends there... prepare for the lambasting after this sentence...hehehe

My brothers ordered Chocolate Dinosaur which i think is just so ordinary.

The choco powder that you can see sitting on top tastes just like what i can easily buy at the grocery. Yes, ladies & gents, MILO lang ata! (i think it's just MILO!).... soooooooooooo disappointed! To think it's Php 95 already! I could just buy a pack that's priced for less than 50 & make myself more than 3 glasses of this by myself!

Then Caesar Salad to start the meal...

Nothing spectacular... salad dressing is not just so-so. Just so...
It's not even half of what authentic Caesar Salad dressing tastes like! I'm sooooooooooo disappointed!

My brother loves spicy foods so he asked the waiter what would be the most deliciously spicy dish they offer & he suggested Sambal Squid.

I think this is the only 'success' dish that i can consider. It has this barbecue taste on your first chew which then becomes spicy as you continue chewing. The only downside is that the squid is kinda rubbery already. I think it wasn't overcooked. I guess the squid was just cooked a tad bit longer than necessary that's why it became rubbery, but still, it's the taste that matters.

Then their Yang Chow Fried Rice...

We ordered the one that would be good for 4-5 persons but we were shocked..yes, shocked, not just surprised when we were given a small bowl that i feel like could only be eaten by one hungry lady. See the serving spoon? It's not a big serving spoon mind you, so you can just imagine how minuscule their serving was.

I feel like only those who are on a diet & are anorexic would be able to share this small serving plate for 5 servings! Unbelievable!
There's no special taste to it too.
tsk! tsk! tsk!

I ordered the Chopseuy Vegetable Mixed Meat.

At least i don't have anything bad to say about this. It tastes ok, not the best chopseuy that I've eaten but it's still pretty decent. But again, their serving size is really not good for those who are really hungry.

Mum ordered Carbonara...

This is the worst of the worst!
I have never eaten a carbonara that taste like it was made of mayonnaise! The taste is too rich! It's ok if there are a lot of bacon to 'kill' the richness of the sauce but once you finish all of the meat on it, the aftertaste that the sauce will leave you with a very yucky taste.

I'm not a pro on Italian dish but mine is a lot better than this!

Dad ordered Adobo (which is like a combo meal because it has rice already), i wasn't able to take a picture because he ate it straight away right after the waiter put it on our table.

With all the minuscule serving that they have, we ordered 2 more servings of individual rice to satisfy our appetite. Actually, our appetite had already decreased because we were disappointed with their food.

As for the price, it's not that expensive. Actually it's just like any other restaurant out there, but i would just suggest that you try out other restaurants with the same price range that might have a bigger serving size. By the way, i found a copy of their menu at Munchpunch.com. You can check it HERE if you're interested.

I would highly recommend Luk Foo if you are looking for a resto that can satisfy your big appetite plus it won't break your bank either because it is really worth what you paid for.

I think the only 2 good things about this place is that it offers different asian dishes in one place plus the ambiance & service is great. That's where it ends.

We all agreed that we would never go back to this place again & would not recommend it either. The service might be good but the food is not! As what i said before, i'd rather go to an old looking place that doesn't have a lot to offer when it comes to its ambiance but the food will knock you over by it's awesome-ness rather than go to a resto that only offers great ambiance but will not even satisfy your stomach.

I may be biased saying that i will never go back because of this experience but there are a lot more restos that i haven't tried yet. I wouldn't spend my time going back to a "questionable" resto where there are a lot more waiting to be tried.

If you want to have the best experience of great service by the waiters & waitresses, good place to relax & unwind then please drop by, but if you are after a scrumptious meal to end or start the day or satisfy your appetite, go elsewhere! LOL!

hahahaha!
I think this is one of my ranting post after a long time! I just never thought that i would actually make a rant about resto!

How about you, what will you choose?
Great food with just a mediocre ambiance or great ambiance but mediocre food?
I already made my choice, obviously!
hahaha

Hope you all have a great day,ladies!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Spotted: Kit Kat Mint Chocolate~

Nestle Philippines is bringing in new Kit Kat flavors in the market & boy! am i glad~

I have been fascinated with all the different flavors of Kit Kat in Japan. It makes me wish that somehow it would also be available here in our country as well. When i spotted this at the grocery yesterday i thought that this would most probably be a chance for new flavored Kit Kats to be available!

They also have an orange flavored one but since i don't like the combination of choco & orange so i didn't buy it.

I like that when you break the fingers it will have this mild minty scent that will trickle your nostril!

It doesn't have a strong minty flavor so even if you don't like mint chocolates you'll still be able to appreciate this. It just served to enhance that choco goodness that Kit Kat is known for. The melt-in-your-mouth chocolate that Kit Kat is known for is still there & is no way altered by the mint so it's a delight in the palate!

I bought this at the SM Hypermarket for Php 109 (i think) per pack. One pack contains 9 bars of 2 finger wafers.

Makes me think too if they are planning to have a pinoy version just like how kit kat have their very own japanese version. I'm not sure if i i'll like that... Can you imagine a "guinataan" flavored Kit Kat?! LOL!

I'm just thinking way way ahead...sorry! Don't mind the babbling of an over excited Japanese Kit Kat fan.. XD

If you like Kit Kats then make sure you try this one,ok?
^_~

Have a great day,ladies!
Jaa ne~!

Orange Peel & L-Gluthathione Soap Review

It's been a while since I get to do a facial soap review.

It's not because I have the perfect skin already (mind you, I think that's almost impossible! except if I will also be one of the "produkto ng siyensya", which do not appeal to me.) but because it takes some time before i really get to see what is the real effect of the soap that I am using for. It usually takes 2-3 months...with all the before & after photos that I take... before I do a review of it.

The company contacted me after reading my post about the Shulammite Carrot Soap that I posted before. Yes, they are from the same company. I have to say that this is one product that took a while in seeing the results, but I am quite happy with it nonetheless!

Let's get to know the product first...

I'm sure you have already seen this in Watsons when you go over the soap section. I have to say that the packaging doesn't really have an appeal for it looks just like one of the ordinary soaps out there... adding the fact that it's a bit expensive compared to ordinary soaps out there, you most probably have just passed this by.

But let me tell you that you ought to at least give it a moment's thought because this soap packs a wallop! LOL! Give it enough time & you'll be able to see the difference. It doesn't promise instant effect but there will definitely be a difference between before & after.
^_~
*wink*

Feel free to read the description... I guess you know what the benefits of oranges are, right?

I won't go into details about Glutathione because I think it deserves a separate post all by itself. To make it short it's one heck of an anti-oxidant in combating those free radicals. It's a super anti-oxidant & detoxifier.

If you take Vitamin E in neutralizing those free radicals that destroy the cell, Gluta works even better because it is on the prime spot, which is inside so it destroys free radicals way better than Vit E. It helps keep the cells strong & healthy.

Now don't go asking me about Met & all sorts of -tathione there is available in the market. I'm not an expert. I only read this information on catalogs & research. hehehe

Ingredients list...

This is what it looks like...

The first thing that I love about this is the scent. It has this yummy orange scent. It's not the artificially sweet scent but a real orange scent! It almost makes me wanna reach out for a glass of pure orange juice because it smells delicious! For those who love the scent of orange, I'm sure you'll be sniffing this every now & then. Using this is a pleasure too because the scent relaxes you as you continue massaging it on your skin.

I hate products that have that artificially sweet scent (as I call it) like in facial creams but I do appreciate natural scents & this one has my seal of approval! hahaha!

Going on...
As I said before, you can maximize any soap by cutting it into small pieces. The good thing about this soap is that it doesn't melt that easily. I have gone through tons of soap bars that melt like ice when you leave them in a wet soap dish, luckily, this one is not like that. In fact, this one lasted for a long time! I have used it not just on my face but on my body as well.

As I said, it took a long time for me to finish the whole bar. I think I was able to use it for 2-3 months... cutting it in pieces definitely made it last longer! I took a before & after picture of using it with just one bar.

I'm sure you'll notice the change in the skin condition. Pardon the lighting because i took the Before picture in better lighting. Anyway, my main concern is to show you the difference of my acne condition. You'll see that  the top part of my cheek on the Before picture has a group of annoying zits. In the After picture you'll see that it's gone & it didn't really leave a bad pigmentation/dark spot compare if i'm just going to use an ordinary soap.

I guess you can see the difference between the 2. As far as I know, the whole time I was using this I didn't experience any major break out, if there is it would just be really small, not quite alarming unlike before. I know that there is a big zit on the After picture. I actually took the After picture 3 days after I ran out of it & I used Cyleina Organic Tomato Soap. I told you before that not all organic soaps are a sure thing!

Thanks to Cyleina, I have a new zit after 2-3 months of being nearly zit-free. @_@ *rolls eyes*
Anyway, it's my fault because I got excited after seeing that it's already available in Watsons. Why haven't I learned my lesson that i shouldn't just pick up any stray soaps that I see on the shelves & stick to ones that work for me! LOL!

As for whitening, I'm not really sure since it's summer & I don't wear sunblock as often as I should. Knowing that I tan easily, I won't be able to tell if I did whiten during the time that I was using this. Sorry, ladies, I wasn't able to take notice of it.
:(

I'm not using any skincare the whole time I'm using this... except for an occasional sunblock. I'll be sharing with you my favorite facial sunblock after a couple of days. But then that's it! So whatever difference there is on the before & after picture, it's really just because of this soap. Anyway, I never did like putting anything on my face because it makes my skin feel suffocated!

I also forgot to add about one good thing while using this is that I notice when I had pimples, it usually results in blemishes & dark spots. But not with this, it will just heal the pimple without leaving any dark spots! Amazing! It reminded me of my favorite Neutrogena bar that was phased out.

I'm not sure if this is available in drugstores or groceries but I only see this in Watsons. It's always there! Just pay extra careful once you already see an orange bar, I know it can be quite easy to miss with all of the orange-colored packages that you see when you walk on the soap section. But do try to take notice of the L-Gluthatione, ok?
^_~

It is sold for Php 145 (i think)... I'm not sure if it's 143 or 149 though, but 1 thing I'm certain of is that this is somewhere in that price range. It might be a bit expensive at first but since it lasts a long time plus it really works then this is definitely well worth the price!

Let's summarize...
PROS:

• locally available
• smells wonderful!
• doesn't melt very easily (2-3 months for just a bar? how's that?! haha)
• it really works
• takes a while before you see the result
• lessens pigmentation

CONS:

• may not be internationally available
• may be expensive at first but you'll see that it's actually cheap in the long run
• packaging makes it easy to miss

Will I buy it again?
I like this product! I have repurchased it & will most likely be purchasing it again & again! I highly recommend this! I'm glad that the company contacted me to try this because I would never really buy this one again the packaging doesn't stand out to me. You can't judge the book by its cover, right? This one is definitely true about this product!

If you are looking for a soap that can target those dark spots made by acne or some sunspots then please give this a try. Who knows if this is THE ONE? LOL! I will not really call it my THE ONE but it did make it on my "products to buy again & again & again" list so this is really good!

Have you tried any glutathione soaps?
Did it work for you?

Hope y'all have a great day, ladies!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Summer Saver:Dr. Bronner's Hemp Peppermint Pure Castille Soap

Last week...Wednesday, I think, was said to be one of the hottest days of this year on which the temperature soared to 36 degree C. I think it can even get hotter than that for the next couple of days/weeks because it's just the start of summer & is not yet in full swing.

I felt like being broiled alive yesterday but I was saved by Dr. Bronner's All-One Hemp Peppermint Pure Castille Soap! *pants for breath* The name of this product is quite long...I just call it castille soap for short.

I've had this for a long time but I am only able to use this only now because it's perfect for summer. I mainly bought this because I read from reviews that this provides a cool sensation when used as a bath soap. Since I am a sucker for anything that provides a cooling sensation, I won't pass up the opportunity on trying it!

That's why I was so bummed out when I missed out on MAC's VV collection for I wasn't able to grab the cooling powder but I'm ecstatic that they put it on the permanent line already! I can't wait until I can get my grubby hands on it! hahaha!

Going back.... castille soap was used way way way long ago. It is made up of oil... mainly it uses olive oil but other vegetable oils can be used as well. I'm pretty sure you are familiar with all the good things about olive oil so I'll just be skipping about it.

For those who don't like the scent of peppermint it might turn you off of it. It has a strong peppermint scent... as strong as the cooling sensation that it would provide once you lather it up on your skin. You can put a few drops of it on your sponge then just squeeze it again & again to lather it or you can just apply it directly on your skin then lather it for a really cool sensation.

On really hot days, i would just lather it straight on my skin. It cools me instantly to the point where even if you are using hot water you would still feel the coldness! I LLLLLLLOOOOOVVVVVEEEEE IT!

I know that some ladies even use Dr. Bronner's as a brush cleaner.
I don't. It's just that somehow the first time I used it, it feels like it has this mild oil residue that it leaves behind. I guess I just got used to using it over & over that I don't feel it anymore but I won't ever forget it. Knowing that a tiny oil when applied to my face can cause a break out so I'm just extra careful in anything that might put oil on my face even if it's indirectly.

Anyway, summer is not yet in full swing here in the Philippines, ladies but the temp had already spiked up to 36 deg... Cool off with this!

You can buy it at Healthy Options available in different sizes.
The smallest one is Php 375, the size same as mine which would be the medium one is Php435 & the biggest one which I think is like a whole gallon is Php 1005... I'm not 100% sure of the price but that's what I can remember from my visit to Healthy Options yesterday.

You can just buy the small one if you are still unsure. I know it could somehow be expensive at first but then you'll just be using a few drops every time you take a bath so I think it's still economical. A few drops go a long way because this really lathers!

What's good about Castille soap is that it's an all-around soap. It has existed way back & has been used for almost anything whether it be a bath soap, dishwashing soap, cleaners soap, mane it & this soap will do it for you so you don't need to worry about any waste even if you won't be able to use this a bath soap!


Have you ever tried using it?