April Collective Haul

April was way too fast and I feel that I wasn't able to fully experienced anything outdoors this month even when I'm on a month-long vacation. I just used all my time watching movies, watching Korean series, blogging, reading, fixing papers and documents for the wedding, cleaning stuff and other chores I feel like doing. I did so many things but I feel that I am not enjoying it to the extent yet.

Anyway, the month wouldn't pass without me getting anything for myself. I bought some outfits since I am really preparing to go outdoors. Others products I received were winnings, from sponsors, and a little purchase of makeup on the side.

Etude House Haul
Jaycee and I recently went to Marquee Mall to visit the museum I blogged few days ago. Since I was already at the mall, I bought this eye brow pencil and a mini hand cream at Etude House. Ever since EH closed at SM Pampanga, I  had a hard time getting products from them so I thought of visiting the store and get some of their items.  

Zalora Haul

I recently used my remaining GC from Zalora from a blog work I did a couple of months ago. The GC was about to expire so I grabbed something immediately from the site. This box contained 6 items for a thousand pesos only. 

Whisper Samples
This is my first time to receive samples from EverydayMe despite registering for samples from them.  It is actually a site by P&G that gives samples in exchange of a review. Getting samples from them is like getting a miracle. They're always out of stock plus most of the items won't reach your doorstep. :( 

Belo Whitening Gift Pack

I recently won at Sample Room and Belo contest on Instagram and received this gift set as the prize. Will be using this soon. Let's see if it is indeed effective!

 Sample Room Haul

Another batch of my Sample Room haul. It's actually nice that they got more stock of the Belo Sun Expert line and this time they have available ones in the spray form. I already reviewed the one for the body and will do this version soon. I think this is much better since I love spray products the most.

Clothing Haul
I got a few clothing items, 2 tops and a short. I love the Billabong aztec top. It's actually a sleeveless tank top. I just have to fold it for the photo's sake. It's great for nights at the beach. Unfortunately, my only beach experience this season didn't push through because of some 'misunderstandings'. I just hope people will be mindful that some people need to prioritize their work, because IT'S work. Nah!

I actually have more purchases like the blouse and shorts I bought two weeks ago but wasn't able to capture them since I used those in a trip just last Sunday and I arrived this morning. I will add the photo up when I washed them. Hihi :)

I also just received a sample from Sample Room but was too tired to capture it. Will add and update everything tomorrow.

Notice that I don't have much haul this month since I wasn't really leaving the house when I don't have to. It spared me from all the purchases I was supposed to do. It's actually nice to feel that "we" are saving more for the big day. ♥

Any new haul you got recently? Share your items here! Would love to see and read them. Xoxo ♥

Review: Jordana Lipliner in Cocoa

I seldom use lipliners but most of the time I received it as a freebie whenever I buy from an online beauty store. I'm not really sure why most online stores would give lipliners as a freebie. No idea about that. So as I was cleaning my beauty product storage a week ago (as if I have tons of stuff huh?) I saw that I have around new 5 lip liners that I didn't use. I opened them up and tried some. First one was from Jordana. The shade is Cocoa.  

It's nice to have lipliners because you can play around the shape of your lips according to how you want to make it stand out. Though I haven't mastered the application of lipliners yet than an ordinary lipstick. Lipsticks, tints, gloss, balms etc, glides easily on the lips unlike lipliners. One of my reader actually said that her mom doesn't want her to use lipliner because it would make a person look old. I also have that impression on certain lipliners. I feel that it wrinkles the lips. That's how I can term it.

This shade's color was soft sane as the pencil itself. There's a time that while sharpening it, it broke and I have to sharpen it again. Did the sharpening thrice until I got the photo above. I was actually already careful in sharpening and I don't know what hell happened. Compared to the other lipliners I opened together with this, they're harder than Jordana's. 

Since it's Cocoa, I bet it will be dark. Dark brown actually. The pencil is soft, the color is soft and honestly it's hard to apply. It's too messy that I have to wash clean my hands because I'm spreading the color everywhere, on my hands, the cheek, face, everywhere! That's the time I got mad with this product. Haha. It just wouldn't cooperate. 

So after trying the product for review and after messing everywhere my body parts, the pencil broke off again and that's the time I decided not to sharpen it anymore. Perhaps I got tired of all the hassle it's giving me. I don't want to be stressed with just one product. 

Since I can't make the tip of the pencil sharp because it kept on breaking, the upper line on my lips became very bothersome. It's not really straight as I want it to be. A pencil liner can actually correct that but I did not bother anymore. It will just be a mess if I'll continue it.

Yay for me! (｡◕‿◕｡)  

• Got it as FREE. Forgot what store. 

Nay! (｡◕︵◕｡)

• It's totally a mess for me. I don't like the color nor the pencil itself. It's too soft and it's difficult to sharpen. 

Price: Received as a freebie

Bought from: FREE

 Size: .185g.

If I would suggest, I hope they remove this on their lists and focused to a broader market their retractable pencils. I think retractable are better than this. Have you seen my Play 101 review from Etude House? That pencil was SO great. It's way, way greater than this. You should just try that one instead. 

I will still be keeping this because I think I can use this for contouring or anything that can be used for a play and the like. I teach theater arts to my students and this may be useful in productions. I can give it to the makeup director instead. 

Would I recommend this? Definitely NO because of my experience. But you can still try it if you like. You may have a different view about it. I'll blog the other lipliners soon! 

Spread the love and hope! XOXO ♥

Manicure Monday: Trendy Nail GR506

Few weeks ago, I bought stuff from The Face Shop and I got this mini nail polish which is an apple green color and was so cute that I immediately included it in my cart together with the other stuff I bought. I so love the color but why did I hate the brush and the formula? 

The color was very bright and very pastel. It's my very first apple green and I actually like love the color but I guess the problem was with the brush and the formula. The brush wasn't really fine at all. The photo above looks kinda decent since it's 4 coats. Some nails were 5. 

To be safe, you need to put a top coat after the whole application because I left my nails without top coat for quite a while. I was planning to eventually finish it with a top coat but I attended some urgent matter for a few minutes when I saw marks and lines. I actually just moved when I thought that the polish was dry. And I really took care of my nails and moved very very carefully to avoid it bumping with some stuff. Turns out that it bumped on my other finger so little marks were created.

I think this is a very tricky polish. You need to take control of the content since it dries up pretty fast when you lift the brush from the bottle. The brush I think was also too disoriented. Also to avoid markings on the finish polish, you secure it with top coat. A must for this label I guess. I sometimes skip top coat on other polish I trust but I can't give that to this line. 

I'm a fan of all the shades on this line but I don't think I'm getting a second bottle of the Trendy Nail set. I'll try the different line of polishes at The Face Shop though. Just a little disappointed with the outcome. It may not be visible in your eyes but it was in mine. The photo shows the daintiness of the color and I admire this polish for that. And that's just about it. 

Eye-candy right? Indeed it is. But if you want to be saved from the hassle, better leave it be. More Manicure Monday posts to come. Stay tuned! Comment your thoughts below. Would love to read them all! Love you guys and gals! ♥♥♥

Casual Dresses for Summer

I'm really itching to go to the beach and explore places this summer but because of commitments and work schedules, I sometimes find it hard to get out of town. Up to this point, I haven't explored outdoors and I'm more of bumming inside the house. 

For the next few weeks though, I have scheduled meetups with friends and a little get-together even if it wasn't beach-related. I need a break before classes resume soon   So while waiting for the next coming days, I'm watching tons of movies, korean dramas, reading, blogging, and a lot of online shopping. Recently, I bought stuffs from Zalora where I got 6 items for only a thousand bucks and looking forward to get more casual dresses for women on their shop. I'll show it to you on my April Collective Haul so watch out for that. 

These maxis were so vibrant and lovely that you can use them casually and pair them with a cardigan which is undeniably perfect for summer. Or you can opt to pair them with a cute fedora and you're all set!

A simple bright dress that you can use at work or wear at malls. This is so versatile that you can rock it off with so many different styles.

Dresses that are fit for daily look or meetup with friends. I would love to wear these when I meetup with my buddies for a coffee or watching the cinema. ♥

Are you staying indoors or enjoying outdoors this summer? What places have you been into? Guess I'll have my real vacation starting this week and I'm looking forward for enjoyable moments with friends and loved ones. Hope you do too! 

Enjoy the summer! XOXO ♥

Review: Strip It's Makeup Remover and Facial Cleanser

Strip It is one of my favorite online stores where I always purchased my waxing needs. When I ran out of wax last time and checked their website for new order, I found out that they have new products such as the aloe vera gel, tints, body scrub and this makeup remover and cleanser in 1. So upon ordering my new wax, I included some new products like the gel and the makeup remover. The packaging was so cute I can't resist! Plus I have very good feedback on Strip It's wax. I've been using it for years and I never changed. 

The love I had for their wax was at par with this product. This is so mild and gentle and it really cleanses the face easily. No harsh chemicals were used plus the packaging was very cute! The aloe vera gel I bought along with my order from Strip It was too good for post-waxing as well. And the freebie I got from my purchase was a tiny bottle of their new release body wash was so nice and smells so good! This is a powerhouse online store I swear! All products were definitely wonderful!

This product was also in a pump! How I love pumps when it comes to cleanser. Since this is a 2-1 cleanser, even if I get so tired at night washing my face, I'll just use this and I'm safe. Yeah, I'm sometimes like that. I just grabbed a cotton, dispense the product, cleanse the face, everything while lying in bed. I'm not lazy. I'm sometimes just dead tired.

Please don't mind the hairy part on my back hand for checking the texture of the cleanser. I got rid of them this morning through waxing. Haha. Anyway, as you can see, the consistency is quite thick and watery. Not really sure how to term it but it's not watery and not too watery as well. But regardless of the texture, once applied it just cleanses well.

That's with just one small pump. it's so mild that it doesn't sting the eyes and you can feel that there's no chemical hidden somewhere. Of course, I believe there is but maybe a very, very little amount. 

Yay for me! (｡◕‿◕｡)  

• Affordable.
• Cute packaging.
• 2-in-1 effect. (as a makeup remover and facial cleanser)
• Effective as makeup remover and cleanser.
• Very gentle on the skin as it does not sting the eyes. 
• No harsh ingredients. 

Nay! (｡◕︵◕｡)

• Nothing I can think of. Perhaps they should try selling it on local beauty stores.

Price: P130.00

Bought from: Strip It

 Size: 100 ml.

I should have bought the bigger one but since I just tried and tested it first. Nnow that I loved it, I will definitely buy the bigger version in the future once I used up the whole bottle. Love, love, love this! 

How do you find this product? I am actually happy getting to know this because my previous makeup remover was thrice the amount of this. Of course, I'll stick to the cheaper yet with the same quality brand. You'll gotta love Strip It I swear. Try their products and you'll be amazed with the results. 

More reviews to come. Just stay with me, okay?! XOXO ♥

Review: Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisturizer Enriched Creme

I'll admit, I was too excited when I got this but I somehow delayed using it because I was too confident that it'll work on me just fine. I tried using other affordable products first since a lot of stuff is already building up in my closet. So when it's time to pull this one out on the shelves, the excitement rushed in again. I truly hoped that the product will prove whatever claims it can do. 

But it was all just claim.

I totally forgot where I got this. Perhaps in a subscription box or in a goodie bag. Anyway, since Shiseido has it's name as one of the major skincare brand in the world, I would believe that it would really carry all it's claim. But it does not. I was rather disappointed with this one. Why?

I wished for this to correct the visible pores and dark spots/ marks I got. I got no perfect face but before I used this, it was all clean, no acne build-up nor any other problem. Except for one big mole on the cheek and a dark spot around the chin. (See my face photo below)

This Ibuki Creme has a thick, white texture. It's actually light and no sticky feeling after application. It actually has an applicator but I don't know where it was. The product was absorbed fast by the skin and the scent was just mild. I actually liked it at first.

After two weeks, I noticed that I'm having breakouts upon using this so I stopped it. Actually, my goal is to review it weekly to see the effect it has made on my face but I think it got worse on the second week.

I tried to take a photo of my face after shower to show you my bare skin. My skin was just typically clean apart from that nasty dark spot on the chin and dark circles of course (my forever dilemma).

Look at the photo below on how my face turned out after a week. My purpose of getting the photo above was for comparison after a week's use and now you know what I mean. I got more red spots on my forehead and as I was writing this, I got two little spots on the nose. That's when I stopped using the product.

Here's a closer look on the forehead and whatever happened on my face. It became a base camp of red spots. Haha..

So you know what I mean when I said that it was all just claim. The product didn't really worked out on my skin. Of course, I don't expect that all products are effective and will work out for me but I have high expectation on Shiseido that it will give at least a good result. Not a bad one like this. Now, I have to fix whatever scar it left on my skin. Good thing the Belo Acnedot did help to remove some of the acne.

Yay for me! (｡◕‿◕｡)  

• Got it from a goodie bag.
• It has a mild scent.
• It's rich and very moisturizing. 
• Product was easily absorbed by the skin. 
• Lightweight.

Nay! (｡◕︵◕｡)

• Expensive. 
• Caused my skin to break out. 

Price: Free from a goodie bag (Original Price - P1600+)

Bought from: Sample Room

 Size: 50 ml

If you'll ask me, I actually want to try finishing the whole tub but since I got breakouts, I stopped. Perhaps when my skin goes back as how it was used to be, then I'll try it one more time. I like how it moisturizes the skin. I can somehow fee that it 's tightening my skin making it more firmer but I guess I'll just have to use this as a night moisturizer so I won't have to be exposed under the sun with this on. I'll try that one more time when I got the courage. Or I may not try it at all. We'll see. I'll update you once I have done so.

Any feedback on what do you think about the product? Did you experience any product which didn't worked as how you like it to be?

Share some thoughts here. Would love to read your story.
'Till the next. Xoxo ♥

OMG Gems Collection

As I was roaming around the mall few weeks ago, I saw these babies in a nail polish stand at SM Pampanga in their Department Store section. They're so pretty and glittery so there's no way I won't be able to notice them. The colors really caught my attention and the fact that it was shining. I'm actually looking for some glitter nail polish and these just showed up in time. What made me purchase these even more was the price. It's super cheap at around P28.00 per bottle so I grabbed all the shades I saw in these collection.

I first got 8 polishes on my first visit then added two more shades which I haven't purchase. So all in all, I got 10 shades in their Gems Collection. I'm not sure whether these are the entire collection or if they have more shades available. I just got what I thought I don't have from the set. 

This collection has a wide range of colors. They have a lot to offer. From dark to light color and something in between. I forgot the names of each shade because they were erased from pulling the tag price off. I screwed it, I know! >.<

I like their light blue above but I would like it more if it's darker. Those coats on the nail wheel were two swipes. I think if you'll look at it, they're still light. I guess three coats would be nicer. 

My sister already used the lightest shade of pink on the farthest right and had bad feedback about it. She said that they chipped off on her nails after 2 days. And that's even with a top coat. I can't share my experience yet since I haven't used any of these on my nails. We'll see about that.

Are you familiar with OMG nail polishes? What's your favorite color of polish on the color wheel above? Mine would be the one beside the lightest pink. I see it as magenta. 

Would definitely use these on my future Manicure Monday posts! Be it with an art or no art. Hope you'll check those soon. 

Love and happiness all the way! Xoxo ♥

Review: Cosbio Q10 Collagen Essence

Remember last month when I hauled so many facial masks from The Face Shop and Japan Home? Well, I got to try one mask from Japan Home which is the Cosbio line. It's actually my first to get a beauty product from the store and and used it. However, I found out that Cosbio is actually not a product from Japan. It's actually from Korea based from the information at the back. Or maybe just how I assumed it was.  

I got 3 for P88.00. Totally a steal compared to other masks that is P65 each. I got it in different types so I can try what would suit me best. If this goes well on my skin, I might get more. So I tried the Q10 first. 

Product information were written at the pack of the product along with Korean and Japanese characters. Before, I don't know how to differentiate the two but since I had experiences in teaching Korean students, I became aware of Hangul as well.  For Japanese, I always watch animes so I know some of the strokes. Haha

There's an illustration on how to use it. Also an English translation was provided on the lower left so you'll know exactly what to do. Actually, I read the English translation first before I got this product because there are some Japanese products that have broken English in them and according to some articles I've read, you should avoid those since they may have some harmful chemicals on the content. If they made the product and if they want to cater it to more people, they should have hired an English personnel who can translate it properly for them. Just a two-cents.

As always, masks won't really fit in my small face. I guess all mask only has one size. I hope they can cater to different face shapes so it would look on photos. Haha. Anyway, compared to The Face Shop masks I always use, this one has less essence. It's not dripping when you take it out of the pack. It's nice that you don't have to wipe the excess that dripped but somehow I found it to be less moisturizing. 

Yay for me! (｡◕‿◕｡)  

• Very affordable.
• The mask is not dripping.
• You have the option to cover the eyes.

Nay! (｡◕︵◕｡)

• I feel that my face is not fully moisturized after application
• No smell at all. (I actually want to have a little scent while I put it on my face)
• There's no cool feeling unlike other masks I tried.

Price: P88 for 3 pcs.

Bought from: Japan Home

 Size: 1 sheet

I don't think I'll buy this variant next time. I have tried more great products that really delivers on moisturizing the skin. I guess I have to try the other 2 of this brand so I can fully decide if I'll repurchased or not. 

How do you take care of your skin? Do you put face mask? What brand are you using? I suggest you do this 2-3 a week so it will give life to your skin. It's expose daily so it needs a little TLC. 

'Till the next. Xoxo ♥

Travel: A Visit at the Miracle Art Museum

I kept on bugging Jaycee for a couple of weeks now to reserve his day off for me so we can visit the Miracle Art Museum at Marquee Mall, Angeles City. Last time I've seen then on their FB page, they're already on their closing week. They posted that they will close last April 21, 2015 but due to popular demand, they extended it until the end of this month. Good thing he got a day off from work last Friday so we pushed through our itinerary. 

Miracle Art Museum is a gallery of 3D paintings. This concept of art exhibition is a hype lately. I saw a lot of blog post regarding 3D art museum in other countries and even in Manila as well. They're so cool that I need to be there myself. Plus they cut off 50% from their usual P200 entrance fee.  

When we entered the place, there are a lot of visitors who are taking photos. The vibe is nice and lively. Families and friends were laughing out loud in creating different poses. The place is air-conditioned so food, drinks and pets are not allowed. Smoking is prohibited too.

Let me remind you that there are a lot of photos in this post. There are some suggestion on how to pose like the photo above or you can just goof around and do your own thing with the paintings. I actually think Jaycee was great in posing than me. He's such a goofball! That's why I love him! Cheeeeese! Hahaha ♥

Photo overload ahead. Hihi :)

 

 

We actually tried taking photos with each of the painting but sadly there are times that it's tiring so we missed some. There were also a lot of people there so one should be sensitive to others who want to take photos too.

 

 
 

After doing a tour on the museum, we're so tired that we went back at SM Pampanga where we parked the motorcycle. We parked there and just commuted the way to Marquee because the sun is burning intensely. Marquee is more than an hour ride by commuting so we need to go back early because Jaycee was planning to had his haircut at SM Pampanga. He was actually teasing me that I just had my photos taken at the museum then hurried back immediately. Haha. 

What's your favorite painting with all these painting? Mine would be those dinosaurs and Jo In Sung's THE CLASSIC photo. I've watched that drama couple of years ago. Here is the actual photo of it. Haha

What else? Hmmm. I also like the paintings that I need to hold on to something. The movement that you need to do just makes it real I guess. I actually like a lot of the painting, but overall I really enjoyed the experience. I hope I can also travel outdoors and visit different places soon. 

'Till my next travel post. Xoxo ♥