bits + treats

Bargain Shopping Day!

2012-02-13T21:21:00.000+08:00

Went out with mom today. I wanted to check out Ipanema’s sale at Glorietta. It was more than I expected. Take a look at what we got:

For the boys

There are only a few boys in our family. More for us girls!

Some of the ladies’ flip flops are going out to my friends and loved ones. The ones for guys will go to my uncle and MB and for my kuya, Ahne’s husband.

Prices range from 300 to 650. It was crazy when we went there and it was only 12 noon. Stocks are moving fast so if you want to get a pair or 2 or 3, better be at Glorietta early tomorrow!

Bargain shopping didn’t end there. On our way to Aranaz, we passed by Landmark and I saw Goody at 20% off so mom bought these for me:

I’ve been meaning to buy these since forever but for some reason I keep skipping them. I guess fate had a different plan and it was to the tune of 20% off!

Later in the afternoon, I met with my dear friend B and we paid the deposit for the hotel that will be used for their wedding reception then we went to Powerplant to look around, grab a bite and buy takeout for MB. Days like these are truly wonderful. The rain didn’t even bother me. What a way to spend Monday!

Cloud Bubble Oil

2012-02-12T23:52:00.000+08:00

This is still part of my first Etude haul for this year. I’ve used this product for several times now and I can say that I’m very, very satisfied with it.

I’ve been using Clinique’s Take the Day Off since last year and because my friend Kitten has talked some sense into me (remember the shampoo issue Kitten?) I’ve decided to look for a cheaper alternative product that performs just the same as the expensive one. A bottle of Clinique’s makeup remover costs more than a thousand pesos while this bubble oil only costs 498 pesos. They both work well. They both suck at removing super waterproof mascaras.

I have no problems removing all brands (that I own) of eyeshadows, foundation, eye liner and blush but when I tried to remove my Kiss Me Heroine Make Mascara, the mascara didn’t even budge. I’d say that it’s actually not bad considering the price.

Just be careful that this doesn’t go into your eyes as it will sting like crazy. A small amount wouldn’t hurt but if you accidentally open your eyes or push some of the product in while your trying to remove your makeup then be ready to scream. = ) Well, just make sure that you’re near the faucet or shower. A simple rinse would remedy the stinging. It also doesn’t leave my eyes red when I accidentally do this. For me that means that it’s not too harsh.

It says Bubble Oil because when you pump the product, it goes out into a bubble foam. 1-2 pumps is enough to clean your face. The scent is okay. Nothing special there.

This product doesn’t give me breakouts so I’m definitely buying this again.

February Double Thanksgiving Giveaway!

2012-02-11T16:12:00.001+08:00

I finally had the time to take photos and sit down to blog about this giveaway! February is a very special month for me as it’s my birthday month and also Hyphen’s anniversary! I will be doing a series of giveaways here and in Hyphen’s Facebook page so you better keep an eye out for those. Here’s the first giveaway.

Nail Art

2012-02-10T18:32:00.001+08:00

I have been exposed to the world of nail art because of the Etude House Wannabe Style Nails set. One day, I was walking around Watsons while waiting for MB to finish his haircut. I did the usual rounds of makeup and toiletries, mentally checking if I needed anything. Well, I didn’t until I found these:

Each set costs Php69.75 and includes a nail file, nail glue, beads/studs and a stick.

I like the first set better as the studs last longer and they’re not a pain to apply. Or maybe I’m just doing it wrong? Anyway, here’s the result of my first try:

The color of the studs faded when I applied a quick dry topcoat. The color also runs when you’re not careful. I didn’t use the glue for this project. I relied on the nail polish which was satisfactory as the studs lasted several days even with light chores such as cooking and washing dishes. I was too paranoid on the first night. I was very careful with shampooing my hair as I was afraid the studs would fall off. They didn’t.

I have no idea what I’m going to do with the other set. I don’t want to use it anymore. I’ll probably give it to C. We did another project together. I’ll post that soon.

Aloha!

2012-02-09T09:59:00.000+08:00

I only have a few words for this product. It’s great. Buy it when you’re looking for a good lippie/gloss combo. =)

The Aloha Two Two Kiss (don’t you just love Korean names?) is a duo of lipstick (red) and gloss (yellow). It makes my lips soft. I can wear this without a lip balm base. It doesn’t dry out my lips. It lasts the whole day.

I usually apply the gloss in the center of my lower and upper lip. I also use the gloss to top off some of my lipsticks. It’s a very nice gloss if you don’t like over-the-top shine or in-your-face gloss. It’s very subtle. I didn’t experience chapping when I removed the product from my lip.

The pencil is also very easy to sharpen. Just be careful with the cap. I lost the cap of the gloss so now I can’t put this in my makeup kit. Pffffft… Good thing it lasts a long time.

The Pursuit of Happiness

2012-02-08T09:49:00.000+08:00

I am very picky with bags and purses. Before, I just immediately buy a bag if the color and design are nice. I don’t consider the quality. I didn’t want to spend more than 500 pesos for a bag. But then, the life expectancy of these bags were short. Of course, they were cheap and cheaply made so I had to buy another bag again after a few uses. I thought I was actually saving money because I didn’t buy expensive bags… Until I bought one expensive bag out of impulse and that’s when my love affair with good, quality bags started.

Last year, I only bought bags abroad. They are still in very good condition even after days and days of abuse. They are totally worth the price. At the beginning of the year, I discovered Aranaz bags. I got my first piece then I was totally hooked! Here is my first collection of Aranaz bags:

After seeing the quality of these bags and considering the price, I decided to stick to Philippine-made bags while I am here. I am a proud Filipino. I can definitely see that the quality of these bags are far superior to some branded bags that are available here. I was thinking, why would I pay X amount of pesos for a bag that is made in China when I can pay almost the same amount for a bag that is made in my country, made by my people, helps their livelihood and makes good use and promotes our natural resources? These bags are world-class!

I am not a hypocrite. I will probably buy other bags when I go abroad but as long as I’m in the PH, I will try my very best to stick to bags that are designed and made by Filipinos.

To leave you with, here’s a photo of a purse that really caught my fancy. I got this from my sister although she still doesn’t know that I took it. = ) I told my mom to tell her that I wanted it for myself as she won’t be able to use it. She likes big bags and purses.

Silk Scarf Hair Essence

2012-02-07T15:50:00.001+08:00

This is also part of my Etude haul.

My hair is dull and dry and I’m still having problems with split ends. I looked around Etude House and found this product. I checked out their hair care line because I was really impressed with the Bubble Hair Color.

I apply this serum every night, after I take a bath. I divide my hair into two sections and apply 1-2 squeezes of the serum on each side. I’ve been using this for about 3 weeks now and I really did see results. There were less split ends and even less hair fall! I was only hoping to get rid of the split ends. Solving the hair fall problem was an added bonus. My hair is soft in the morning even after I just used shampoo the night before. My hair is even softer and silkier after I use a conditioner. It’s very easy to comb.

Just the other night, I noticed that if I apply 2 squeezes, I end up with itchy spots on my neck and the sides of my face. I thought this was due to the Bench Shampoo for colored hair so I stopped using that. Turns out, the itching was caused by both the serum and the shampoo. So now, I only apply one squeeze of the serum for each side. I think too much of a good thing is also bad.

Update:

I had my hair cut during the weekend and I also had my curls done so I’ve been skipping this serum for a few days now. I will use this again in a couple of days. I just don’t want too much treatments on my hair.

Easy Brow Pencil

2012-02-06T12:59:00.000+08:00

I got this pencil with my first Etude House haul for 2012.

I am used to powder eyeshadows to fix my brows. The thing is, it’s hard to use powder to fix my mom’s brows. She has very little hair that serves as her brows. They’re almost non-existent. I decided to look for a pencil to see if this will be better than the powder. I learned this trick from one of my mentors.

I’ve read several blogs claiming that Etude House has great eyebrow pencils. I asked the SA for a recommendation and she handed me this. I asked for a shade that is similar to my hair color. She said that this is the one that she’s using. She has colored hair too.

Pencil on one end, brush on the other

Soft brush

This is number one. This is the lightest shade. I’ve only used this a few times and it didn’t disappoint. I haven’t tried using this to draw mom’s eyebrows but I’m pretty sure it will give good results. The first time I used this was with the BB Cream that I got as a GWP. We went to UP Vet Med to bring our cat, Sapphire. We stayed there for half a day. Amidst the alternating heat, wind and dust, this pencil survived.

This pencil doesn’t smudge and doesn’t rub off easily. I have a habit of scratching/touching my brows when I’m thinking so I’m glad that this pencil passed.

Use the brush on the other end to soften out the edges. The brush is very soft so no irritations there even you use it after plucking/shaving your brows.

This pencil will definitely be a staple in my vanity.

Congratulations Gellie!

2012-02-05T09:11:00.001+08:00

The Hyphen Group would like to welcome Gellie of SoGelleesh for being the First Hyphen Curiosities Brand Ambassador!

Stay tuned for her adventures with Hyphen.

Ladies, we are still looking for more Ambassadors. If you’re interested, please send us an email with your full name and blog link. Keep ‘em coming ladies!

Hand Bouquet

2012-02-05T09:04:00.000+08:00

I bought this Hand Mask set from Etude House last year. (Yes, I know, I have a lot of products that need some love!)

The instructions are fairly simple. You just wear the gloves!

Since the instructions are Korean, I just freestyled. I initially wanted to let this sit for 30 minutes but on my 25th minute, my hands started to itch so I removed the gloves immediately. I didn’t wash my hands because that defeats the whole purpose. I just rubbed them together and made sure that the product is evenly distributed. The itchiness disappeared after a few minutes.

This guide shows the different pressure points on your hand that you need to press in order to stimulate the different parts of the body. I actually did this.

This product was okay for a few minutes. I felt my hands soften a little bit. But something came up and I needed to wash my hands so I guess I’ll never know the full results come morning.

I’m sorry I can’t remember the price. I have another set in pink and I probably won’t use it just because I can’t stand the feeling of my hands being wet. I wanted to wash my hands the whole time.

Inspiration – Peacock

2012-02-04T08:43:00.001+08:00

Here is another EOTD that I made based on a photo that I was inspired with:

Here’s the photo:

Taken from the internet

The colors that I used are:
Deep End – UD 15th Anniversary Palette
radium – UD Book of Shadows III
Evidence – UD Book of Shadows III
Blue and red in LA Abstract Palette

The falsies that I used are the ones I bought from Saizen.

I have another inspiration EOTD in my head. I just hope I can find the time to make it. Vacation’s over for me.

Another Fun Project

2012-02-03T08:33:00.000+08:00

Here’s another NOTD that I did using the Wannabe Style Nails set from Etude House.

Here are the stickers:

They’re the same stickers from the other set.

I just love that detail! I recently bought 2 nail art sets which I will show you in a different post. I never thought the day would come when I would get addicted to nail art. I guess that’s what vacations do to me.

Another BB Cream

2012-02-02T18:26:00.000+08:00

I got this Precious Mineral BB Cream as part of a set that was a GWP from Etude House.

I’m not a huge fan of BB Creams. The only BB Cream that I use is Bobbi Brown’s. I initially wanted to use this as a travel makeup but I was worried that my acidic skin might not like it. I was right. A few minutes after application, I noticed that my face started getting dark. I used this when we went to UP to bring my cat, Sapphire, to the vet.

It does give me a bit of a glow but as the day progressed, I could really see that my face darkened. MB said it was fine. But as my mentor said, only makeup artists and people who have an eye for makeup will notice if a person has acidic skin. The people at Rustan’s immediately know if I’m using a new foundation because they can see the change in my skin. They know my shade too well.

What’s great about this product is it didn’t give me any allergies. My face didn’t itch nor did it break out into zits. So that’s good. I feel fortunate to be able to try this product for free. I may use this when I go to places near our house such as Kitten’s place or Shopwise. Or, I may use this on clients. Anyway, if you’re not acidic I would recommend that you give this product a try.

Why Be a Hyphen Curiosities Brand Ambassador?

2012-02-01T23:17:00.000+08:00

Here are 7 reasons:

1. You’ll be the first to see our latest collection several days before they are released.

2. You get first dibs on the pieces that you like. You’ll be the first one to flaunt your latest treasures in your blog!

3. You get the pieces that you like for FREE!

4. Being a Hyphen Ambassador, you get to try (and keep) items that you like in every collection from the time you are chosen as an ambassador. There is a new collection every other week so imagine not having to worry about accessorizing. You always get something new to punch up your wardrobe!

5. You get special discounts on all Hyphen Brands!

6. You get VIP access to Hyphen events and may even be invited to photoshoots where you’ll be the star!

7. You get to take photos of your fashion adventures and blog about it with Hyphen Curiosities supporting you! We will promote your blog in all of Hyphen Curiosities’ marketing activities.

If you’re interested in becoming a Hyphen Curiosities Brand Ambassador, shoot us an email at hyphencuriosities@gmail.com. Write your full name and your blog links.

Scrub, Scrub, Scrub!

2012-02-01T18:41:00.000+08:00

This is another product from the Bench Organics line. I love body scrubs. The body wash counterpart of this scrub didn’t work well for me. Since it dried out my skin, I was thinking that this scrub might be able to get rid of all those dead skin cells caused by it’s cousin.

This has the same scent as the body wash. The scrub is a very thick cream. It’s so thick that it doesn’t stick to the jar unlike the Lulur scrub. If you buy this, you’d be sure to use every last drop (or maybe chunk as it’s really thick). What I do is I get a small chunk, flatten it out on my palms then rub a bit then apply to the areas where I want to use it. It’s very economical in that sense because there’s no spillage and you use the right amount of product every time.

The beads are gentle. They are larger than Lulur’s but as gentle. This scrub did dry out my skin but it’s nothing that a lotion can’t fix unlike the body wash which required a lot of frequent lotion application. No itchiness or rashes either.

One jar costs Php149. I probably won’t buy this again because the Lulur scrubs work better on me. But it’s a great product plus the scent lasts long on your skin. And that’s good in my book.

Spring Cleaning

2012-01-31T18:13:00.001+08:00

Do you remember that spring like tool that’s used to remove unwanted facial hair that became popular about a year and a half ago? I wanted to try it out but it was too expensive. Just a few days back, I went to Beauty by SM and found this:

It’s only 89 pesos and it works! I use Veet strips to remove the hair on my upper lip but the strips are not very effective on the edges. I got this tool to remove those stubborn hair. As the directions say, bend the spring to a U shape then position on the part where you want hair to be removed then twist your fingers side to side and roll the spring up and down your skin. It’s quite fun to do this but if you have a low tolerance for pain, skip this tool. It hurts. I just happen to have a high pain threshold that’s why I can say that it’s “fun.” MB was curious and asked if he can use this. I told him no because it will hurt.

If you’re looking for a Veet substitute, then this is the tool for you. I just don’t know how I’ll sanitize this. I’m scared that it might rust if I spray some alcohol on it. If you have a similar tool, how do you sanitize it?

Crayon Liner

2012-01-30T11:43:00.002+08:00

I am a huge fan of Maybelline mascaras and gel liners. I saw this Maybelline Eyestudio Crayon Liner at First Aid last year and I decided to try it.

When a liner says, “doesn’t crease or bleed”, I give it the ultimate test subject– my lids. Bobbi Brown’s gel liners are well known for their holding and non-crease powers. They failed on my lids. Maybelline’s gel liner performs better and at a fraction of the price.

I was able to road test this liner yesterday. It was literally a road test as I was out the whole afternoon, commuting and walking. I went to Market! Market! to meet cousin C and my beautiful bride friend, G. We went back to Makati to check out a church and a hotel for her wedding. We walked a lot outdoors and when I got home, my liner looked like this:

There are traces of the liner around my eyes because I just scratched them when I took these photos. I totally to forgot to take a photo as soon as I got home. Took these photos an hour and a half after I got home.

Not bad, no? And you know how much this costs? 149.

The crayon has a smooth texture but it’s not as smooth as when I swatch it on my skin than on my lids. It gives me broken lines when I use it on my lids. Don’t expect for this product to glide on smoothly as UD pencils. But, the lines are fixable. Just gradually build the color and the lines and you’re all good.

Will definitely buy this again.

*Scheduled post
* Update - Doesn't work with NARS eyeshadows. It smudges like crazy

Wannabe Nails

2012-01-29T11:05:00.001+08:00

This is from Etude House’s Wannabe Collection.

After months and months without shopping, I was finally able to splurge a little at Etude House. One of the things that I bought was this Wannabe Style Nails set. The Wannabe Collection is a collaboration with illustrator Annika Wester. It’s a shame I forgot to check the box before buying and when I got home, I saw that this box was torn.

This set is quite expensive at Php328 but I guess that’s because it’s a collaboration. The quality of the nail polish is no different from the 48-peso ones. Aside from the illustration on the box, I also like the nail stickers that comes with the set:

Annika says that these are perfumed polishes. They’re not.

The stickers last a long time. I applied a top coat over them to protect them even more.

My cousin C is quite excited to use this set. We will experiment more and we’ll post the photos here. It’s so much fun being a girl!

Fun Finds at Saizen

2012-01-28T11:57:00.001+08:00

I am addicted to Saizen. Whenever I go to Market! Market!, I have to visit this store. Yesterday was no exception. I wasn’t planning on buying anything. I was just looking around until I saw a pink polka dot rug that I couldn’t resist. And then I found stuff for the kitties. So I surrendered and asked cousin C to get a basket and I ended up buying:

-the pink rug
-tape measures (2 in 1 pack) because I couldn’t find mine
- camera tripod that I tested last night and gets two thumbs up
-falsies that I will use in an upcoming ambitious EOTD

Not in the photo are:
- food bowls for the cats
- huge cotton buds also for the cats (I think they are overpriced at 85 pesos but they’re worth a try because my cats are a pain when I try to groom them)
- pink and green peeler (I bought one a few years ago at the flagship store in Robinson’s Galleria and to this day, that peeler still works. The blades are still sharp but I need to replace them as they’re starting to rust)
- 12 pack multicolored sponges (They are a bit pricey compared to the regular ones I buy but I like the fact that they’re not as durable and that tells me I need to change sponges soon. I tend to forget to change sponges when they are too durable.)
- a pink mesh bag for cousin C

I hope to discover more things at Saizen when I go back!

*Scheduled post

Coffee & Honey

2012-01-27T18:59:00.001+08:00

On with the Bench Organics discovery.

By the time this post goes live, I would have finished this bar already. I got this for 65 pesos at Bench G5. I am a sucker for honey products and it says firming and moisturizing on the label so I immediately got this.

It smells a combination of both. It smells bitter. I love the fact that it lathers up nicely. It bubbles up fast. It “melts” onto my skin. I like soaps that don’t last a loooong time. I’m not tipid with soaps.

One major problem with this soap is it doesn’t deliver on the moisturizing part. My skin feels so dry after my bath. Even MB’s skin dries up. You can actually feel a rough film over my arm when you run your hand against it. I touched MB’s arm and it also had that same feel. It feels like soap that wasn’t rinsed and just dried up. So I immediately apply lotion afterwards. I noticed last night that you can see flakes, as in dried skin cells all over my arm. I don’t know if that ‘s good (as in exfoliation) or bad (dryness).

For the firming part, I don’t think I’ve used this long enough to experience that effect. Obviously, I won’t be buying this again.

If you have normal skin and you decide to try this product, do tell me about it okay?

Hyphen Curiosities - New Collection

2012-01-27T18:28:00.000+08:00

Hi ladies! I’d like to share with you our latest collection in Hyphen Curiosities:

Earrings:

Rings and connector rings:

Necklaces:

Alice Charm Necklace

Antique Gold Bib Necklace

Medallion Charm Necklace

Aqua and White Bib Necklace

Charm Necklace

Feather Necklace

Pewter Waterfall Necklace

Silver Bib Necklace

Swallow Necklace

Let me know what you think. By the way, we are currently looking for Hyphen Curiosities Brand Ambassadors. If you’re a blogger and you’re interested, please send us an email with your complete name and a link to your blog at hyphencuriosities@gmail.com. Please be informed that this does not involve money. This is a sponsorship deal. We will notify you when you qualify. We will judge based on quality of photos, quality of writing, readership and following and your overall personality that shines through your blog. I hope to hear from you gals soon!

My Favorite Lip Glosses

2012-01-26T19:21:00.001+08:00

I’m not a huge fan of lip glosses but I use them from time to time to give my lips an added ooomph. I also like the moisturizing effect that they give especially when my lips hurt from all that chapping.

I don’t have a lot of lip glosses but here are my favorites:

Here is my natural lip color for comparison purposes:

Here are swatches from left to right:

Estee Lauder Pure Color in Electric Coral. This is just a highlighter. Nothing special. It’s one of my favorites because I can use this on any shade of lipstick. It’s also a very special item because this is the only thing that I bought and I got tons of GWP’s for it – a bag, eyeshadow palette, tons of samples, etc. So it’s quite special.

Revlon Colorburst in Hot Pink. I love strong pink lipsticks. Light pinks are for everyday use but on days when I feel extra glam, I swipe on my strong pink lippies. This lip gloss can stand on its own. No need for a base color. I need to buy more from this line! It’s so sulit!

I just got this Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Crush with my Rollergirl Palette. No one seems to be giving it any attention so I opened one and gave one as a Christmas present to my best friend Ahne. This lip gloss is great! It, too, can stand on its own. I love the menthol effect/flavor it gives. It also says that it plumps up your lips. I don’t know about that. I just love the taste!

Bobbi Brown Glitter Lip Gloss in Bronzed Pink is for special occasions as you can see by the glitters. I also use it for highlighting. It’s very thick and sticky so be careful that your hair doesn’t stick to it otherwise you’ll end up with gloss everywhere.

MAC Wonder Woman. I like it so much that I posted 2 shots of it. This is not for the faint hearted. It’s very red. So if you wear this, be ready to own it. I’ve only used this a few times. Well, that’s because I was still building my makeup confidence back when I first bought this and I kinda kept this in one of my train cases so I completely forgot about it until this post. I will be sure to use this more in the coming days. Remember to use a lip brush when applying this as the applicator is huge!

Lastly, NARS Angelika. I can’t use this alone. I usually top my everyday pink lipstick with this because the consistency is not so good. If not applied properly, you will end up with empty spaces on your lips. It’s really not meant to be used alone. This is a highlighter.

So those are my favorite glosses. Mind telling me yours?

Copy Cat

2012-01-25T16:55:00.000+08:00

Here is another makeup ad that I couldn’t resist copying:

This one is from ELF

If you’re new to this blog, you must know that I am super acidic (that’s why I use a very light foundation) and my skin is dry due to the current climate.

Here are the tools that I used:
For the eyes:
Benefit Lemon Aid
LA Colors Abstract Palette
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk

For the face:
NYX Grinding Blush in American Girl
MAC Lightful Foundation

For the lips:
MAC Playing Koi
Clinique Lip Gloss

Brushes:
Sigma F40 for the blush
Charm blending brush for bronzer and highlighter application
Sigma E40 for blending eyeshadows
Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow brush for the pink
Sigma E55 for the blues
Sigma E40 for deeper blue and black
Bobbi Brown Eyeliner used as a lip brush

I skipped the falsies. Well, you know why. = )

Pause Kitten

2012-01-24T16:44:00.001+08:00

Quick post. This is for all you cat lovers and stationery junkies out there.

I got this cute bookmark at a bazaar but I’m pretty sure this is available at National Bookstore or Fully Booked.

“We got tired of using an old crumpled receipt to mark our place in books so we made Joyworks”

Little things make me happy!

Milky Lipsticks

2012-01-23T16:32:00.000+08:00

This is a super duper late post. This should have been posted last year. Anyway, here goes.

I’m not a huge fan of matte lipsticks because I have very dry, chapped lips. The doctor said it’s one of those annoying things about my illness. But here are two matte lippies that I really like.

The great thing about owning a store is the ready supply of beauty stuff. These were the last 2 tubes and they’ve been out for so long so I decided to give them a try. Here are swatches:

Number 4 is a peachy shade while number 3 is pinkish. They are both very nude lipsticks.

Milky is a good name for these lippies as they glide on smoothly. I don’t think this will dry out normal lips. My lips are dry no matter what lipstick I use. They also last a long time on my lips in spite of my constant drinking and licking.

04 – MAC Playing Koi Dupe

These are also from Kiss Me Cosmetics. I will hoard again the next time I’m abroad.

Quick tip: If you have very dry lips like mine, be sure to moisturize first. For a quick scrub, apply a generous amount of lip balm all over your lips. Gently scrub off with a facial tissue or a cotton pad. Then apply another coat of lip balm. If you have a lip primer (I use Etude House’s which I haven’t even reviewed, thanks to a quick search on my blog) use that next. Then apply the matte nude lipstick using a lip brush. For me, a lip brush is a must. I use the brush to outline and fill in my lips. After that, I swipe the lipstick over my lips then fix it again using the brush.

Chinita

2012-01-22T11:05:00.001+08:00

Chinita is a local term for Chinese/Asian eyes. I have a Chinese heritage but I don’t look like it and by no means am I trying to have chinita eyes. It seemed like a good title because my EOTD looks something like this:

A few posts back, Belle requested that I make a pink and orange EOTD. I told her that I actually did a few days back. I didn’t post this right away because I wanted to make another version but ended up making 2 more.

The first one, as you can see, is an exaggerated cat eye. Also,it’s just pink and orange with white highlights on the inner corners of my eyes.

This second EOTD, I did at home, while I was sick. =P

My skin is very dry and I did this when I woke up so excuse the blotchiness. I didn’t apply anything on the rest of my face. I just did my eyes.

This version has more whites. I wanted to make an orange/pink/white combo but I was having a hard time blending because of my flaky skin. Anyway, you get the point. This is also more “wearable” than the first EOTD because the liner is more “modest”. The first EOTD attracted a lot of stares.

I also painted my lower lash line with the same colors on my lids.

I’m using the Heroine Make Mascara set in this EOTD which I reviewed a few posts back.

On this third version, I wanted a thick cat eye look and I wanted the orange to mimic the wing. It was very hard to make the orange look pointy. I think I need a wet brush to do that as the pigmentation of my I Dream of St. Lucia palette is not that great. It’s actually a bit chalky. Anyway, I dreamed about this look so I got up and started applying makeup even though my eyes were already hurting from the second EOTD that I did early in the morning.

This would absolutely look great with falsies. I didn’t even bother because I will end up with red eyes for several days if I did that.

Kiss Me…

2012-01-21T10:35:00.000+08:00

..Cosmetics that is.

This is the Heroine Make 5th Anniversary Mascara and Remover set from Hyphen. I’ve been using this in a lot of my EOTD’s lately because it’s more gentle on my eyes compared to my other mascaras.

The mascara delivers length and volume. I like the fact that it doesn’t clump and doesn’t dry up easily. The remover is a bonus although it’s a bit awkward to use it. It also has a wand. It looks like a mascara but instead of making your lashes darker, it brings it back to normal. I have absolutely no idea if I’m doing it correctly but I apply this remover as though I’m applying mascara then I wipe it off using a cotton pad. I also wipe off the wand before putting it back in the tube.

I think this is good if you’re on the go but I find it useless for everyday use. My regular makeup remover removes everything. Using this remover is just an extra step. It is quite effective though.

Here’s the mascara wand:

It does a nice job of separating my lashes. The mascara stays put the whole day. I don’t end up with raccoon eyes. If you have oily skin, I’d say this is a good investment.

*Of course, Bits and Treats readers get a special discount

Yes, Pigs Can Fly!

2012-01-20T11:29:00.000+08:00

We interrupt the regular beauty posts to give way to a special request. Salmoncat asked me how my cats were and requested that I make a post about them. So, I give you this.

This is Sapphire, my pig. I mean, cat:

Sappy (as I fondly call him) is the new Alpha. His older brother, Dylan (my smartest and most favorite cat) died a few days before Christmas. Now he’s the eldest among our cats. Sapphire is my second biggest cat. My biggest cat was Chintzy. Actually, he was my mom’s cat. Chintzy was huge. And he was long. He had a long tail, long body and long arms and legs. I’ll look for a photo of Chintzy and write about him.

My sister claims that she owns Sapphire but I’m still the one that Sapphire obeys. Sure, he likes it when my sister feeds him but on days when we need to get him to the vet, he relaxes more when I’m around.

He’s actually not feeling very well when I took these photos as there’s a problem with his gums. We will be taking him to UP one of these days to have it fixed.

I said pig because Sappy is a big cat. He weighs 15 pounds and I had to lug him from the house to the vet while walking. I didn’t want to ride a tricycle because I wanted to have a “leisurely” walk with him. I wanted him to feel safe. I wanted him to see the vehicles and people up close. I wanted him to know that I was there to protect him and that nothing can harm him.

On his first time to the vet, he bit the doctor and her assistant. The assistant exclaimed, “lumilipad po pala ung pusa nyo”. Your cat can fly. He kept jumping around the clinic. I imagined it to be the scene when I bathe him. He keeps jumping around the bathroom. My sister was the only one who brought him there so they were not able to control him.

On our second trip, he was very behaved. When the doctor lifted the carrier cover, Sapphire was calm and relaxed. She was able to open his mouth with her bare hands without any resistance from Sap. Dra. Des was quite surprised that Sapphire was behaving so good that day. She was able to administer all the treatments in a few minutes. I had to go back to the house because my sister forgot to bring one of the meds. I talked to Sapphire and told him that I was going to be back and that he should behave. When I got back, he was just sitting in the carrier with the doctor and my sister petting him. He was a very good boy! So good that the doctor didn’t let us pay. She said that the day’s treatment was free because Sappy was such a good boy. After the treatment, Dra. Des said good bye and asked Sappy if he was going to sleep again. He put his (heavy) head on her hand and made lambing to the doctor. Pogi Points! I think all my male cats are like Don Juan when they see a pretty lady, especially Dylan.

Sapphire is feeling a bit better now. He’s eating more because his gums feel better. Yesterday he went back to the doctor to get his shots. I couldn’t go because I was sick so I just talked to him. My sister brought the carrier to my room because Sapphire was all grumpy and restless. She asked me to talk to him. I told her to give Sapphire a hot sponge bath first to calm his nerves. I ended up giving him the sponge bath and putting him inside the carrier. According to my sister, he was behaved the whole time.

Here’s a photo of Sapphire and Ponchi getting ready to fight:

They’re brats. They can be a pain sometimes, especially Ponchi but I was able to stop the fight.

So how do you like my pet pig, I mean cat?

*This is a scheduled post

Rice Water Bright

2012-01-19T13:48:00.001+08:00

I’ve been using Clinique products for my skin care routine for over a year now. I've been happy with most of them. But recently, I’ve been having second thoughts about the facial wash. I guess it is just something that washes the dirt off my face. It’s the only Clinique product that I have that runs out fast and honestly, it’s not cheap. Well, that and my sister probably sneaks off to use it. Anyway, there’s nothing special about it so why should I continue shelling out that much money?

MB ran 0ut of his facial wash and I was running out of mine too so it was the perfect timing to try something new. Since I’ve had good results with The Face Shop line of products, I decided to go there first. I saw this:

I received a sample of this product about 2 years ago. I wasn’t able to try it but MB did. There was an emergency and he was out the whole night and I had to bring him some clothes and toiletries. I immediately noticed that his face was brighter even after a whole night without sleep after using this. So I guess that’s a good sign, right?

This is a cream type facial wash so it’s very tipid. I only have to use a pea-size amount. I had breakouts during my first two weeks of usage. I don’t know if it was because of stress (I was under so much stress that time) or if my skin was still adjusting to it. On the third week, my period came so the breakouts continued. But there were “in-between” days when my face was clear so I guess the breakout isn’t entirely due to this new facial wash.

MB says that this product is okay. He tried the Neutrogena facial wash and ended up with super oily skin and zits. This one cleared up his skin. Both our skins are dry right now because of the climate. So what I do is, I use this facial wash and alternate between my Clinique number 2 and 3 toners and moisturizers. So far it’s working. MB has no complaints. His skin is back to normal. No zits. Mine are also healing. The dryness is still there but hey, my skin is always dry.

The scent is nice. The packaging is good. The price is right - Php445. I have my fingers crossed that this product won’t disappoint me. I will try the Bamboo facial wash after this runs out since my skin is hiyang to the makeup remover.

I’m Getting Sunburned

2012-01-18T20:26:00.000+08:00

That’s the name of the Wet n Wild palette that I used for this EOTD.

Here it is:

I just used a little bit of the pink . I wanted the gold to stand out.

Never mind the falsies as I’m allergic to them. I’m using The Face Shop falsies here.

Is that soap?

2012-01-17T12:18:00.000+08:00

That is the question I get every time someone sees this in the store:

I think everyone knows by now what this is. I have to admit, it took a while for me to try this. I just didn’t want to open a new lotion when I still have one. I believe in finishing one product at a time. The thing is, my Etude House Penguin lotion failed me. I know I said that it doesn’t suddenly open up in my bag and that the cap is secure. I was wrong! One day, when I changed bags, I saw lotion everywhere. The lotion sprung open. Needless to say, I left the penguin on the vanity where it sits nicely so I had to open one of my EOS hand lotions for bag use.

First off, hate the smell. Sorry but I hate it. It smells like cardboard to me. Love the packaging. So far, so good. No leaks. Love that it looks like a soap and I love the way people stare when I fish this out of my bag. I love how people are intrigued by its shape and color. And when they finally see what it is, they get that “aaah!” look.

For its purpose, I can say that it makes my hands and elbow a bit softer. I think I will eternally have rough hands and rough skin. At least this product gives me temporary relief. I have to re-apply throughout the day. MB likes this too as it’s not sticky and it’s not heavy on the skin. I will try the cucumber variant after I finish this. This lotion is addicting though.

Fab Find @ Saizen

2012-01-16T12:06:00.002+08:00

Quick post. I lost my Suesh eyebrow scissors. I don’t know where I put it. I brought it with me to the store because my cousin C wanted her brows to be fixed. I was sure I placed it back in my kit but when I was looking for it a few days after, it wasn’t there! I searched everywhere. I’m really disappointed as it wasn’t necessarily cheap. Long story short, I told myself to give it a few days and forget about it.

Yeah, yeah.. I was still on the lookout for another pair. I didn’t want to buy at Landmark because I doubted the quality of the scissors I saw. We went to Market!Market! one day and since I’m a sucker for Saizen, I asked MB to go. Since MB needed his lint removers, he said sure.

Lo and behold, I found this:

It was a gamble but this is what I’ll say. For 85 pesos, you’re getting more than what you’ve paid for. Love the angle, the sharpness, everything. Now I don’t feel so bad anymore.

Bamboo and Green Tea

2012-01-15T23:29:00.000+08:00

*This is a scheduled post. By press time, I’ve finished the bottle already.

I’ve been using this product for over a week now, almost 2 weeks in 3 days. It has its pros and cons. One thing that I absolutely love about it though, is the scent. It’s so refreshing! The scent is unisex, by the way.

This is of course from the Bench Organic line. I like how they fused these ingredients together to create a shower gel. The gel is a bright green, adapting the colors of its main ingredients. It takes a lot to make a good lather. I love using shower gels/body washes because I love the bubbles. I don’t feel clean when there is a scarcity of bubbles.

And because of that, this bottle will probably just last me 2 weeks or a little over that. This costs 80 pesos, the same as my Dove Go Fresh Body Wash (which lasts up to a month) so it’s more practical and economical to go back to Dove. As much as I love the scent, I have to go back to Dove. I can’t go buying this every 2 weeks.

Another thing that I don’t like about it is it dries up my skin. It’s still cold nowadays and my skin looks like a snake’s skin. This body wash aggravates that so now I have to apply lotion more often.

The funny/ironic thing is, I have a lot of insect bites on my legs and they are really itchy. The green tea in the body wash soothes the insect bites. But then, it dries out the rest of my legs making those parts itchy. So, it cures one problem and creates another.

If you don’t have uber dry skin like I do, I suggest you give this a try. Or give this as a gift to the man in your life. I think he’ll appreciate it.

Stila Talking Palette EOTD

2012-01-14T23:35:00.002+08:00

What is it with this obsession with makeup ads? I think every time I see a makeup ad that impresses me, I immediately drop everything and proceed to take out all my makeup and try to copy that ad. I can’t remember what this ad is (I was mesmerized with the model’s eyes) but here goes:

In the ad, the silver shadow used was really sparkly. I didn’t have that shade so this would have to do.

Never mind the falsies. I can’t stick them very close to my lash line because I’m allergic to falsies. My eyes turn dangerously red.

I only did one eye because, well, I was too lazy. I’m on vacation remember?

Talking Palette?

2012-01-13T19:35:00.000+08:00

I’m not sure if Stila is the pioneer in talking palettes but they sure are the first one I’ve seen. I got this palette last year from a friend.

This is the smokey eye palette. It looks like this on the inside:

There are 3 buttons, each with a different language for your tutorial. There are also labels on each pan if you don’t want to listen to the tutorial. It’s basically base, lid, crease and liner.

Here are swatches:

The darker shades have a lot of fall outs. They’re a bit difficult to blend so I just pat them onto my eyelid and build from there. Some of the pigments hurt my eyes. It felt like I had glitters in my eyes so naturally, my eyes became red.

You must have patience when working with this palette. Also, be sure to clean your under eye area after. The cover is magnetic so it doesn’t easily open up. I don’t think there’s anything else that I can say about this palette. I’d give it a 6 out of 10.

I saw a makeup ad that was so gorgeous, I decided to re-create it using this palette. That’s next .

FIX

2012-01-12T18:16:00.001+08:00

*Please note that this is a scheduled post. By press time, it has been 3 days since I wrote this

My current shampoo is Changpo from The Face Shop. But since it’s so expensive (as my friend Kitten mentioned), I decided to look for an alternative. During my cousin’s Christmas shopping at Bench, I chanced upon this shampoo:

I ignored this shampoo before because I didn’t have colored hair. Now that I do, it’s the perfect time to try it.

Trying out the fish eye mode of my cam

read the label

So far so good. I’m not allergic to it which is a big surprise. It does make my hair rough and hard (if you can even say hard). It’s like after you color your hair, it fills kinda stiff, right? That’s how my hair feels after I rinse off this shampoo. The thing with me is, I use shampoo at night and conditioner in the morning so I really have a hard time combing my hair afterwards. I have to be very careful not to ruin my curls nor pull out all my hair!

The smell is like a salon treatment but not too harsh. I can tolerate it. If you’re sensitive to scents, this might probably not be a good bet for you. The flip top lid is a bit hard to open. I guess they made it like that so the product won’t easily spill. I seem to have some buildup though so I use Head & Shoulders in the middle of the week. I’m not sure about the color protection though as I’ve only been using this for over a week and my hair is newly colored. I guess time will tell.

This costs Php100, a far cry from my Changpo shampoo which is Php300. I’m quite satisfied with it so I will continue using it.

A Gift

2012-01-11T00:39:00.001+08:00

I love receiving gifts! Most especially if they are fashion or beauty related so I was really thrilled when I got a bagful of clothes as a Christmas present from my best friend Ahne and her hubby Kuya R.

One of the clothes I got was this nice comfy top:

I wasn’t in the mood to play dress up that day but this top made it seem like I took some effort to do so. Here are my accessories:

Necklace from an old bazaar friend

Anchor connector ring from Hyphen Curiosities

And my Puma bag that was so heavy. I had my planner that day that’s why the handles look like they’re going to tear.

Of course I had to take a photo at my favorite spot

Thanks again Ahne and Kuya R!

Blue, Green and Yellow

2012-01-10T11:03:00.001+08:00

On my first day of vacation, I played around with my palettes. I haven’t been able to use my NYX I Dream of St. Lucia palette as much as I want to so that’s the first palette that I got.

This is the result:

I was thinking of summer when I made this. The combination of blue, green and yellow is very refreshing. I patted yellow on the center. You can wear this to a summer party but for me, I think I can pull this off during the day . I left out my bottom waterline and just applied mascara to the tiny lashes there so that this look can still be day-friendly. I don’t believe that you should only wear neutrals during the day. I love color and I will wear them whenever I want.

Eyeshadow – NYX I Dream of St. Lucia Palette

Eyeliner – Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Black

Mascara – Kiss Me Cosmetics Anniversary Set

Brows – Laura Mercier in Deep Blonde

Lightful

2012-01-09T14:46:00.001+08:00

While we’re in the topic of foundations, here’s another foundation that works nicely on my acidic skin:

MAC Lightful Ultracharge Foundation SPF 25/PA+++

I got these at Duty Free way back in March 2011. The compact costs USD13 while the foundation itself costs USD45. Although I’ve had it for so long, there’s still some product left that I think will last me for another month. Another thing that I like about this compact is the sponge has a separate compartment from the foundation. I think that’s the way it is for high end foundations. Hygiene is a top priority.

My Paul & Joe foundation is still the best but for some days, I prefer using this MAC foundation. I still get dark with this foundation but not as fast as the others and not as dark. I usually use this to set my makeup before I leave the house. I use either a sponge or a big brush to apply this.

The MUA at the MAC counter recommended the Lightful line after hearing that I have terrible acidic skin. I asked if this was a regular product so that I can buy a refill once I use up all the foundation. Good thing this is.

The P&J foundation coverage is better although MAC feels lighter on my face and the shade (NC40) is close to my skin tone so definitely, this oxidizes faster than my P&J foundie. The P&J foundation is way whiter for my skin but I use it because it takes hours and hours for my skin to darken.

This is more expensive than P&J so I’m still thinking if I’m going to repurchase. But I really love how it feels on my skin. P&J feels a bit heavy. Oh, well… We will see.

My HG Foundie

2012-01-08T12:54:00.001+08:00

I realized that I haven’t blogged about my HG Foundation:

I’ve been using it for months now and I am very, very satisfied with it. I have tried foundations from Bobbi Brown, MAC, Shu Uemura and Clinique and I can definitely say that this tops the list. If you’re wondering about all the fuss with a foundation, you see, I have super acidic skin. My face gets really dark after just a few minutes of makeup application. Even my makeup mentor had a hard time finding the right combination of products for me.

I wandered to the Paul & Joe counter at Rustan’s Makati because of my friend Sugar. She is a Paul & Joe addict! So naturally, I just had to try them out. The SA’s at the counter are very friendly and very helpful so don’t get intimidated when you visit them. I had a lot of questions and they were obviously very knowledgeable about their products.

This is a bit pricey for a foundation, Php1000+. Like all high end foundations, you have to buy the compact and the foundation separately but you only have to buy the refills after your first purchase as the compact is nice and durable. I think the refill is less than Php1,000. I’m not sure but this is definitely cheaper than the other brands that I mentioned above.

The foundation is light but gives very good coverage. I have an oily T-zone and those are the only parts of my face that get shiny after a few hours. I only need to retouch those areas during a day in the mall. It’s different when you work in the field, of course. But when I’m at the store, I only have to retouch my t-zone and leave the rest of my face as is because the foundation really lasts a long time. I didn’t breakout on my first week of usage, which is a good thing as I always break out whenever I try a new product.There is no horrible smell unlike other foundations that I’ve tried. The packaging, as you can see, is very beautiful and functional too:

I use this foundation with my Bobbi Brown BB cream and Laura Mercier liquid foundation alternately. It works nicely on either product. As I’ve said, I’ve been using this for months now and I still have a decent amount of product to last me until the end of January or even February so if you think about it, the price justifies the performance and longevity of the product. I will definitely buy this again.

New Year Nails

2012-01-07T11:43:00.001+08:00

My first NOTD for the new year:

Courtesy of:

OPI Blue Shatter and China Glaze White Cap

By the way, I’m having a blog sale of my nail polish as I have a huge collection already (and also, I want the extra space to buy some new ones! LOL). I’m also selling my ELF 100 palette. If you’re interested, please check out www.thehyphenstore.com. Thanks!

Bubble Hair

2012-01-06T23:36:00.004+08:00

One Saturday, MB, my cousin C and I decided to go on a road trip to Bonifacio High Street/Market! Market! I always enter an Etude House boutique whenever I see one so I definitely checked out the branch at Market! One of the things that caught my eye was this Bubble Hair color.

Photo from Etude House

I badly need a salon visit but I couldn’t find the time so I had an idea. Why not try this? I asked my cousin if she could stay over and color my hair. So we had a little experiment that night and this was the result:

I used the exact shade in the photo above. The ends of my hair became lighter while the rest became a somewhat reddish shade, depending on the light. Either way, I love it! A lot of my friends commented that they really like this shade on me. Even my makeup mentor liked it. Some parts are still black though. That’s okay. My cousin is not an expert so this is good enough for me. A regular hair color costs around Php1k. I only shelled out 378 pesos for this and I got very good results.

I didn’t include a photo of the contents of the box anymore as they’re very common already among blogs. But for those of you who are not familiar with the product, the box contains a pair of gloves, a plastic cover for your body, a bubble dispenser with I’m guessing water and the formula for coloring. What you do is you add the formula to the liquid in the foam dispenser then shake, shake, shake. When you pump the product, foam will come out and then you apply this to your hair as if you are shampooing.

I should say that I was impressed with this product not only for the results but for its gentleness on my sensitive skin. I didn’t experience any itching or pain. There was a tiny bit of stinging but nothing compared to a salon coloring. I was too excited to make a patch test. Fortunately, I didn’t have any adverse reactions to it. I’ve read some bloggers with a terrible reaction to this product and some didn’t have the same results as I did. It didn’t color their hair. C was also impressed by it that she promised to buy one for herself. I will definitely use this again when the time comes.

Sex Machine

2012-01-05T21:40:00.003+08:00

That’s the name of my favorite pink velvet matte lip pencil and it’s from NARS. It took a while for me to really like this. During my first few weeks of usage, I didn’t like it as it dried up my lips (it still does) and I feel that the color was too dull. As my makeup skills improved, I learned to fall in love with it.

For photos and a review of the NARS Sex Machine, click here.

Melting

2012-01-04T21:27:00.002+08:00

On the second day of the new year, I melted lipstick!

I got this dollface palette from a bazaar last year and I just slapped on the colors that I cut off. Today, I finally had the time to melt the colors and make them a bit more presentable.

I put sticker labels on the cover so I know what shades and what brands the lipsticks are. The problem is, I already forgot most of them and I already threw out the tubes.

Whether you’re a professional makeup artist or you’re just someone who wants convenience with her lipstick tubes (not to mention all that extra space in your vanity) here’s a simple how to:

Materials:
Spoon
candle
matches
a small spatula to scoop out every last bit of lipstick
a palette

You just cut off a portion of the lipstick with the spoon or with a knife (if you’re OC) then melt over the candle. Be careful that the edges of the spoon don’t come in contact with the flame/smoke otherwise your lipstick will end up with black specks.

When everything is melted, pour over the well of your palette. It hardens up easily so you may want to work fast with the molding. Don’t forget to wipe off the bottom of the spoon to remove the black specks after each round. Always start with a clean spoon from top to bottom. Well, that’s it! I hope you found a new project to work on for those lazy weekends!

Animal Prints

2012-01-03T21:05:00.001+08:00

On days when I am too lazy to dress up, I opt for something simple – a top and a skirt. I find wearing jeans too laidback and as I grow older, I see jeans for errand days only. Please don’t get me wrong, all you jean lovers out there. There are times when I love to glam up a good pair of jeans. I just haven’t found those good pair of jeans yet. So until I find them, this will have to do:

I just wore a skirt and a black tank top then put this chiffon animal print cover up (Hyphen Luxe) over it. Now it looks like I made some effort dressing up. I accessorized with these:

black beaded cuff

leopard ring from SM

How do you cheat lazy days?

Orange you glad…

2012-01-02T17:28:00.002+08:00

Here’s another outfit post from Hyphen Luxe:

I super love this orange skirt. Orange is a color that doesn’t look very nice on me but this bright citrusy number is perfect to brighten up my day and especially perfect for summer. Knitted white top is also from Hyphen Luxe. My EOTD is from my previous post. Here’s a close up of my accessories:

Necklace from a fellow bazaarista

Owl cuff from Hyphen Curiosities

Angel wings ring from a bazaar

I love these skirts from Hyphen Luxe as they are very feminine, very comfy and when I walk, I feel as though I’m floating because of the way the fabric moves. More outfit posts to come!

EOTD’s

2012-01-01T17:17:00.001+08:00

Happy New Year everyone! How was your New Year’s Eve celebration? We had an advanced dinner last Friday night at my grandma’s house as I have to work during the weekend plus the oldies didn’t want to go out with all the firecrackers in our street. Anyway, 2011 was truly a blessed year for me. I pray that 2012 will be filled with joy, love and prosperity for all of us.

I have a lot of backlog posts and here’s one of them. I am trying to get my “dressing-up mojo” back and that would require an extra effort doing my makeup. Here’s a look that I made using the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette. I am still getting accustomed to my new camera settings so please forgive the shots as the colors/shading are not very visible.

I used Vanilla and Deep End. As expected of UD, the colors are vibrant and they lasted the whole day.By the way, I used Too Faced Shadow Insurance for my primer.

This other EOTD was created using Stila Fabulous in Fiji:

I used all the colors, even the blush which surprisingly turned out pretty on me. The problem is, the colors were hard to blend and harder to build up. See:

The colors also don’t last as long as UD even with the same primer. Anyway, I still like this palette because of the deep blue and the lip and cheek color.

I will do my best to be more active in my blog this new year. I have a lot of plans for it and all I gotta do is find the time to be able to execute them. Wish me luck! Again, Happy New Year everyone!

Topping the list…

2011-12-27T17:05:00.000+08:00

I trust everybody’s Christmas was great? I’m still so busy. I actually haven’t finished wrapping my gifts yet. Yeah, it’s that bad.

So, I got a few gifts this Christmas and here are the best three. Why best three? Anyone who knows me knows that fashion is my vice, that I like to sleep a lot and I drink a lot.

1. Total Pillow from my cousins. Super love this pillow. It’s like my security pillow whenever I’m at home. You can bend it into different shapes to support your back, neck, etc. The girls got this for the car because I mostly do the driving but I can’t seem to get it out of my room. Even MB loves this. He uses this whenever he watches TV. And for me, who has aches and pains almost every single day, this is truly a life saver!

2. Clothes from my best friend, the wonderful Ms. A. Special thanks goes out to Kuya R for picking these out from the land beyond beyond. Love the colors and super love the fabric!

3. KOR water bottle from this guy, who is just absolutely awesome! I drink a lot...of water, that is. My illness makes me thirsty all the time. I’ve been wanting a KOR water bottle for months now ever since I saw Iron Man using it. Or maybe that was even before? Seeing Iron Man use it just made it more tempting. Anyway, it seems that every time I see this at bazaars, my budget wouldn’t permit me to get one so I literally screamed and jumped in my room when I opened the package this morning. And in a color I love, nonetheless!

Aside from these three, I also received a wonderful news from one of my dearest friends. She’s getting married and I will be her official MUA. It’s been my dream to be a MUA to my friends on their special day ever since I started getting serious with makeup. She’s the first one to make this wish come true. Not only that, she asked me to help plan her wedding! Isn’t that great? That’s on my list too! Today is a truly wonderful day for me. I am very happy. I’ve been very down these past few days and today really made a difference. To end, let me share something with you from The Secret Scrolls that I also received today. I hope it brightens up your day too!

“It is possible to be happy and joyful most of the time. You just have to look at little children and see their natural joy. You may say that little children are free and don't have anything to worry about, but you are free too! You are free to choose worry or to choose joy, and whatever you choose will attract exactly that. Worry attracts more worry. Joy attracts more joy.”

May the joy be with you.

Colors that we love

2011-12-23T11:47:00.001+08:00

My older sister is a bookworm. She just likes to study. She’s not obsessed with kikay stuff like I am. My cousin R is like my sister. Sure she likes to be pretty but not to the point that she would spend a lot on beauty and fashion stuff. Now R’s younger sister C, is just like me. We are both obsessed with kikay stuff. School’s out so we’ve been hanging out a lot. Last weekend we went to Market, Market! and checked out some stuff at Etude House. She became obsessed with the glitter polish and I told her I have one exactly like the silver one she’s wearing, only it was the Bieber polish in Make U Smile. So when we got back home, I applied China Glaze Ahoy on her nails and topped it off with Make U Smile:

I was wearing China Glaze Lighthouse:

This is what I’m wearing now:

LA Girl Matte Red (available at Hyphen)

We’re going back to Etude to buy the glitter sets. We’ll be sure to post the photos when we do. Isn’t it great to have a kikay sister?

Guest Post-Herbench So In Love

2011-12-22T11:59:00.001+08:00

My cousin C and I went shopping the other day and Bench was one of our stops. I told her that I found this lotion that I really liked:

The other one that I liked was Tickled Pink. We both didn’t like Bare Me not. C immediately bought So In Love. I asked her to do a guest review on this lotion.

Hi lovely ladies! Last Sunday, My cousin and I bought this Herbench So In Love Moisturizing Lotion at the Bench Store, Glorietta 5, Makati. It’s only worth P55 (cheap huh?). It has a lovely fresh scent. It smoothens and softens the skin while leaving your favorite scent all over, for that all-day fresh feeling.

It didn’t give me allergies (both in terms of skin and scent). If I wash my hands with just water, the scent lingers. My hands remain soft. With continued use, I can see that my hands are getting softer. Not bad for a 55-peso product, no?

I’m getting obsessed with this lotion. I put it in my bag so I can put some lotion on my hand wherever I go. Oh, Lady E is getting obsessed with this too!

Benefit

2011-12-21T11:29:00.000+08:00

I was able to visit the opening of the first Benefit boutique in the Philippines last December 15. Here’s what I saw:

The prices of the wax services are not bad:

I’m going back to try the eye cream:

And get me some Ring My Bella:

I’m obsessed with that doll head. I’ve been wanting to get one since I saw it abroad.

Not a huge fan of the lippies but a believer of that purple box:

Nice display:

The brushes are similar to Bobbi Brown’s in terms of look and first feel. I just haven’t had the chance to use them. They are more affordable though with the most expensive brush marked at Php2,300, according to SA Hern.

It was very busy during the open day (naturally) so I wasn’t able to look around that much. I just took photos and talked to Hern for a few minutes then just told them that I would come back when it’s no longer busy. I’d really like to try the eye cream, Ring My Bella and Watts Up. And probably the eyebrow wax service. Benefit products are great. If you’re looking for an upscale makeup brand to try without killing your wallet or making your credit card cry, then I suggest you try Benefit. They’ve got great kits to start your makeup journey.

Dressed for War

2011-12-06T23:40:00.000+08:00

I’ve been in a fashion rut ever since my stress levels sky rocketed but thanks to a certain Ms. M, I suddenly got inspired to dress up again. It was great timing because MB was taking me shopping the next day. I got more inspired to liven up my wardrobe. During the weekend though, something happened that really made me mad and so I was determined to go to war, I mean work, come Monday. Of course, I needed to be in my best “war” attire:

Sometimes when I feel sick or stressed, I try to glam up so as to make up for my mood. (Clothes are from Hyphen Luxe)

Had lunch with my sister, Dr. G., at Benny’s. Will write about that in my food blog.

EOTD (sorry for the blurry photo):

I used Flow, Tainted, Half Truth and Evidence from the UD 15th Anniversary Palette.

Tools of the trade:

Finding Mr. Bright

Bobbi Brown Pale Pink and MAC Playing Koi

Must accessorize:

Can’t get enough of this purse:

A last minute addition:

The mask ring was also a last minute addition. Got them from the kapitbahay store.

I really hope everything will be great from now on. I could use a long break from stress. Dressing up seems to alleviate some of that “pain” though so expect more posts like these.

Sigma Dry N Shape

2011-12-04T19:00:00.000+08:00

I have so many backlog posts! I’ve been out of the blogging scene for a few months now because I had to attend to more important things. I’m still so full on the stress meter so I decided to give blogging a try again, to de-stress. So far it’s working.

I have this Sigma Dry N Shape that I love so much! As you all know, brushes need to be deep cleaned at least once a week (oh, how I wish I could do that!). Before I had this product, I used a towel to dry my brushes. I used to dread washing my brushes because they take too long to dry and using the towel is such a hassle as the brushes keep slipping. Now, washing brushes is fun:

I love the fact that this product wrings out all the water from the brushes. It also keeps them in good shape. I just wish It had a slot for kabuki brushes. The main functions are just that – dry and shape. It also promises to dry your brushes in just a few hours. Some of the brushes get dried in 2-4 hours whereas some take overnight (sometimes longer when it’s cold) to dry. This pouch is very convenient as the brushes don’t roll over and storage is a breeze. Just close the magnetic snaps and store wherever. I still keep the box so I just put it back in it.

Hyphen still carries one so if you want one for yourself, check it out: www.thehyphenstore.com

Finding Mr. Bright

2011-12-04T17:56:00.000+08:00

I love brightening products because my skin is acidic. I was quite excited to try out this kit and today was the perfect timing.

The kit contains:

Girl Meets Pearl – liquid pearl for the face
Posie Tint – poppy-pink tinted lip & cheek stain
High Beam – luminescent complexion enhancer
Erase Paste – brightening camouflage for eyes and face

I already have the the Erase Paste prior to this kit. I was very intrigued with Girl Meets Pearl so I used that first. According to the directions, you can layer this over makeup or use alone for a pearlized effect. You must know that I no longer use face primers because they speed up the acidity effect on my skin thus making it look darker. I used Girl Meets Pearl over my Laura Mercier liquid foundation. It blended quite nicely and prevented any darkening. Your skin will really look brighter with this product.

Next is the Erase Paste. This is one of the best concealers I’ve ever used as it retains its brightness in spite of my acidic skin. It takes a whole day for my under eye area to darken.

Posie Tint was a bit of a disappointment. The direction says to apply 3 small strokes on your cheek then blend. I was scared with the bright pink color and so I tested it on the back of my hand first. Not much color there. So I applied three small strokes on my cheek then blended. Not much color there either. So I applied three more. The color showed but it was just a bit of a flush. I wouldn’t recommend this product if you want your cheeks pink. This is great for a dewy look though. Oh, and the product is blendable and does not easily dry up so you don’t end up looking like a clown.

Lastly, High Beam. I love this product! It’s a perfect everyday highlighter for the bridge of the nose, chin and cheek bones. The only highlighters I use are MAC Chez Chez Lame and Bobbi Brown Bone and I only use these when I want to look all glammed up. High Beam is a nice, subtle highlighter for casual/work days.

I tried to take a photo but I don’t think you’ll notice the products:

You’ll see the highlighter though. (I can’t wait to get a new cam!) So that ends this 3-part series of my OOTD, EOTD and FOTD.

Isla Serena EOTD

2011-12-04T17:00:00.001+08:00

Sorry, my cam is broken so you’d have to forgive these photos. I couldn’t get the colors to show on either camera phones (mine and MB’s).

This is the eye makeup that I wore with my outfit in the previous post.

Here’s the palette:

Photo from Duwop

I used this for the base (middle):

And the blues and pink:

This is the second time I’ve used this palette. The first time was a blur, so that doesn’t count.

You have to build the colors. This is not like Urban Decay that you only need one sweep and you’re good to go. But, this has very little fall outs compared to UD. The powder is fine and didn’t irritate my eyes. The color lasted the whole time I was out in the mall (around 5 hours). I think you need to retouch when you reach the 6th or 7th hour. I used Too Faced Shadow Insurance for my primer. This works better on me than UDPP. Then, my T. Le Clerc liquid liner and Shu Uemura mascara.

I haven’t used the lippies on this palette. I will post a review when I do. Next in this series, a review of my Finding Mr. Bright Kit.

Rainy Days and Sundays

2011-12-04T15:24:00.002+08:00

Cold weather makes me sick. As in literally. So what better way to cheer myself up than to play dress up!

Harem/pj pants are one of our bestsellers at Hyphen Luxe. At first, I had a hard time styling it. Luckily my best friend A said it might be the print. And it was! I was wearing the wrong prints that’s why they looked awkward on me. So that night, I grabbed 2 pairs from our rack (yeah, I do that a lot) and tried them on when I got home. Here’s the result:

I like this background because the shapes complement the print on my pants. I think I’ll be taking more photos on this spot in the future.

My blouse is a chiffon white blouse also from Hyphen Luxe. Those are my favorite wedges so you’ll be seeing a lot of them in future posts.

Here’s a breakdown of the accessories:

Hyphen Luxe Owl cuff

Necklace from a fellow bazaarista

The print on my pants

My periwinkle blue purse, a gift from the in-laws in Singapore

I’ve had the necklace and the purse for quite some time now but it’s only today that I got to use them. I’m like that. When I see something I like, I get it even though it won’t fit in my wardrobe because I know, one day, I’ll be able to spot some things that will go well with it. Such is the case of the necklace. The purse, on the other hand, was a gift so I don’t have any controls over it. Blue is not high on my color list but this shade is perfect. It’s not in your face blue, it’s just right and I think it would go well with the new clothes I got from Hyphen Luxe.

Next is a post about my makeup and a review of my Duwop Isla Serena palette.

*www.hyphenluxe.multiply.com for your outfit needs.

Lazy Day EOTD

2011-12-03T21:06:00.000+08:00

I’ve been skipping eye makeup for weeks now because of an eye allergy. But I think my eyes are getting better so I am gradually putting color on some days. Yesterday was one of those days. But I was in a hurry and I saw my Wet n Wild Palette in Lust. At first I wanted to use the light colors as I was wearing a mocha blouse (from Hyphen Luxe, of course) but saw that the dark shadow was still untouched so I decided to use that. I normally use dark shadows to contour or give definition but this time, I used it on half my lids. The base is the lightest shade.

I accidentally made a tail on the outer V and it looked nice so I decided to just wear this look.

It’s like a semi-smokey eye that only attracts attention when I close my eyes. On another note, if you’re wondering why my face looks so white, well that’s because I’m super duper acidic and after so many trials and errors, my mentor decided to use a shade this light on me. The foundation starts to darken as soon as I step out of the house. By the time I get to my destination, the foundation looks blended into my skin.

This eotd lasted the whole day but when my face got too oily, some of the eyeshadow ended up on the area under my eyes. No big deal as I was already going home when that happened. I think you can avoid that with re-touches during the day.

*Foundation used is Paul & Joe

How Do You Wear…

2011-11-24T19:23:00.000+08:00

Urban Decay Junk Show?

I wear it like this:

Since it’s such a bold, loud color, I decided to wear it alone accentuated with a simple flick of an eyeliner.

I haven’t worn it ever since so I guess I need to be more creative next time.

What I’m Lovin’ Now

2011-11-24T18:50:00.000+08:00

You’d have to excuse my photos as my camera is broken. I’m using my phone.

I know Halloween is long past but I guess all the Twilight fever hit me and I found myself in love with this deep red nail polish from the Goth collection of OPI. And to top everything off, I’ve been wearing just red lipstick. Plain face + red lipstick + bloody red nails equals?

Of Cute and Useful Things

2011-11-11T11:44:00.000+08:00

I’m a sucker for cute things especially cute packaging. Over the years, I’ve been trying to nip that attitude just because I feel that sometimes I make impulse purchases that won’t be useful in the long run.

But I’m pretty happy with these purchases:

This Hello Kitty bowl is from mom. We got this at one of our former bazaars. I think it’s 150 pesos and it serves as my jewelry dish on my vanity.

This Etude House Penguin is a hand lotion. I saw this at Sugar’s blog (where I find all my Etude House lemmings) and it took a while before I was able to buy them because at that time, they were not available at Etude House, Beauty by SM.

Love the smell. It’s like mild baby powder. The packaging also works because the cap doesn’t come off so it doesn’t spill.

“This is my Fairy Penguin Story”

I totally forgot the price but it’s affordable and worth it. I like this better than the first EH hand lotion that I bought. It’s not sticky and gets absorbed by my skin fast. I also sometimes use this to soothe the dry skin on my legs, elbows and knees. One bottle will last you a long time.

Got any cute stuff that are worth a shoutout?

See you at Rockwell Tent!

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000+08:00

My Hyphen Luxe Closet

2011-09-30T23:32:00.000+08:00

One of the best things about co-owning a clothes brand is, well, the clothes! I get to fill my wardrobe every time we have new stocks…and that’s almost everyday! Take a look:

Here are the bat’s wing blouses that I’m crazy about. I have a few of them:

I can wear these with some of the buttons open or everything closed. I can wear them with a skirt or shorts. I can wear a contrasting top underneath. I can tie them or just let loose. The fabric makes my skin breathe. Since the sleeves are loose, it’s very easy to do several things at the same time while manning the store.

Another thing that I’m liking are these maxi dresses:

Please excuse the crumpled clothes. I just took them out of the closet and was in a hurry to photograph them. Busy, busy, busy.

I’m totally crazy about these maxi dresses even though I’m petite. I just wear a pair of wedges with them and they instantly make me feel like a princess. So ladylike!

I’ll show you more of my Hyphen Luxe finds in my next post. Visit us at Parksquare to have your own Hyphen Luxe closet!

LIKE our poster on Facebook!

2011-09-08T17:44:00.000+08:00

Hello friends! Please help us win SuperSale’s contest by:

1. LIKE SuperSale’s page

2. Then LIKE Hyphen’s poster

If we win, we get a free booth at the bazaar. We will also have a grand giveaway at Hyphen’s Facebook page as a token of our gratitude. Please tell your friends about it! Thank you so much!

Chic Purses

2011-09-08T08:31:00.000+08:00

I got these purses from Hyphen Luxe:

Green Rose Purse

Old Rose Studded Purse

These are Php390 each but I think they’re on sale now at Php350. I’m not a purse person because I just have to bring at least 1/4 of my room in my bag. But I just couldn’t resist these as #1, it’s green (which is my favorite color) and #2, it’s pink and it sparkles!

I decided to bring the old rose purse one day to work and see how much would fit inside. To my surprise, almost everything fit! I just had to take my makeup out of the kit and voila! My everyday essentials are in! It was too bulky though but never mind that. I’m happy that I got to use the purse and still had everything with me. Oh, and the straps didn’t fail me!

Hyphen Luxe has other purses and you might also want to check out Hyphen Curiosities that carries purses, accessories and other interesting knick knacks. We’re just starting this brand so there are only 2 collections there. More to come!

Hitting Pan

2011-09-06T18:08:00.000+08:00

Well, this isn’t exactly a makeup pan:

But I’m really happy that I was able to finish these two bottles. I’ve had the privilege of hoarding perfume last December to February as they were on sale and had really good GWP’s with them. This is the first time that I am able to tolerate perfumes. When I was younger, I stuck with colognes and body sprays. Perfume gives me allergies. So it was only recently that I was able to enjoy this whole new realm.

These are the first bottles that I’ve finished so you can probably conclude that these are also my favorite.

Green Tea is not new. In fact, the refreshingly crisp green tea scent is very popular across all age groups. It’s a nice everyday scent. I also like the fact that the bottle is lightweight and spill proof. I bring this bottle whenever I go abroad.

Kenzo Eau de Fleur de Yuzu is a new fragrance that came out early this year. One whiff and I fell in love with this scent. It’s light and not too sweet. This is also a good everyday scent.

If you’re looking for a good perfume, look for JM at the Kenzo/Givenchy Counter or Pam at the Elizabeth Arden counter at Rustan’s Makati.

What’s your everyday perfume?

Rosebud Salve

2011-09-02T15:00:00.000+08:00

Rosebud Salve was very popular during the 80’s-90’s (here in the PH). I know that because most of my clients who recognize the iconic pot were teenagers during that period. They always say “blast from the past” whenever they see this.

I was only introduced to this product last year and it was only early this year that I was finally able to try it. My friend said that it has a weird smell. It doesn’t smell weird to me though. I like the red orange color of the salve. I think it’s pretty. I like the tin can. It exudes that vintage vibe.

I think most of us use this as a lip balm but there’s a reason why it’s called a salve. You can use it on dry, chapped lips, dry elbows and knees, dry heels, callouses and on small nicks and wounds. I haven’t tried using this other than as a lip balm because I think it’s too expensive to use on my elbows and knees. But as a lip balm, it definitely works. My lips stay moisturized throughout the day after a one-time application before leaving home. Well, that is if I avoid licking them. I’ve also seen this work on clients. Even my best friend who has chapped lips ends up with soft, smooth lips after application.

And because I have prepped lips, my lipstick stays on longer and the finish is better compared to when I use just plain lip balm. Just make sure that you apply this while prepping your face for makeup, meaning while you’re applying face primers, eye primers, etc. That way your lips can absorb the product and be ready for when it’s time for lipstick application.

One pot is expensive but it will last you for quite a long time. And just for the results, I’m staying loyal to this product. For a lip balm junkie like me, that’s a big thing to say. Uhm.. well… sorta. I’m staying loyal to this product and anything else that will suit my standards. Hehe. But this is definitely great to use on clients.

Fun Bun

2011-09-01T07:35:00.000+08:00

This is a hairstyle that my bestfriend C did for me 2 weeks back.

It’s a side bun that’s hanging. She used some of my special hair tools to create this bun. I’m not sure if you can do this using regular hair pins.

She’s really great with hairstyles. I got so many compliments that day because of this look. It’s really nice to look made-up once in a while, don’t you agree? I love the surprised look people get when they see me in something out of the ordinary.

Leotard-Optional

2011-08-23T22:21:00.000+08:00

Hey guys! I’m so sorry for my erratic posts. I’ve been very busy and stressed. I don’t know if I’m burning out from blogging or from my everyday routine or both. Anyway, I kicked myself hard last night, (like when you’re pissed off with a vending machine), to exert more effort to do things.

Here’s a photo of Leotard-Optional, the nail polish shade that’s included in the OPI for Sephora Urban Ballerina Collection. This is such a pretty nude shade. I love it to bits! I’m glad I snagged a set from Hyphen. LOL!

These photos were taken using my phone so please excuse the quality:

This nail polish definitely brightened up my day. It’s so nice to be a girl. Even the little things help lift our moods up.

*If you want this set, it’s currently on sale at Hyphen.

Nail Treats

2011-08-17T13:57:00.001+08:00

My nails have suffered the wrath of my medications. They’ve become too weak. They easily crack so I decided to try these products from Orly:

Let’s start with Calcium Shield. I’ve been using this product for a month now and it has so-so results. My nails still crack but at least they grow longer than they used too before cracking. This product didn’t make much of a difference but it’s a good base coat.

In A Snap, on the other hand, doesn’t work like it’s supposed to. The polish doesn’t dry in a minute, what more in a snap. Sure it’s faster than a regular top coat but you would expect more considering the price is Php250. If you also like a shiny finish, skip this one. The finish is not shiny enough for me. With the wrong polish, it ends up dull.

I would probably buy Calcium Shield again but will try other quick drying top coats. Any suggestions?

Abstract Blue and Milky Lipstick

2011-08-16T13:46:00.000+08:00

I’d like to share with you this EOTD I made using the LA Colors Abstract palette:

When I’m in a hurry, just one bright color will do. Here’s the full face:

This is a classic look that I make – blue eyeshadow, pale lips. Here’s a closeup of the lip color:

This is the Milky lipstick that’s available at Hyphen. This is a perfect dupe for MAC’s Playing Koi. I will post a separate review on these lipsticks.

What’s your bright eyeshadow combination?

Honey!

2011-08-15T13:51:00.000+08:00

I love honey! I use it when I cook, bake, I use it as a substitute sweetener (instead of sugar), I use it on my salad dressings and now I use it on my face!

I bought this product in April but I’ve only used it twice. And in both times, I was satisfied.

My schedule is very hectic and when I get home, more often than not, I doze off after removing my makeup. Sometimes I eat dinner at 10. (Sorry, Kitten!) Then I check my mails then shut down the laptop and watch TV just to stop my brain from thinking about the things that I still have to do. The TV serves as my brain’s R&R time then I watch until I fall asleep. So when can I have the time to do these DIY spa treatments? In short, I’m too tired to bother. But I noticed that there were rashes on my cheek the other night. Reason being my period came early. I used this mask hoping that it will prevent the rashes from becoming a full pledged pimple. Oh, I’m so glad it worked!

The first time that I used this mask, I noticed that my rashes dried up a little. Even my pimple dried up a little. My face really felt firm after removing the mask. There was a bit of redness but nothing serious. The redness is due to peeling. This is a peel-off type mask that you leave on your face to dry then carefully peel off the edges. I find it fun to remove the mask. My mom used a lot of these masks when I was a kid and I had so much fun removing them from her face. So naturally, I would be partial to these types of masks.

The smell is a bit like honey, not sweet-smelling of course as this is an aesthetic product. It takes just around 15 minutes to completely dry up as long as you apply a thin layer. I always apply it thinly because I’m scared that too much product would cause a breakout. You’ll know when it’s time because your skin tightens up. Then just carefully peel the mask off. Apply your favorite toner afterwards to remove any excess.The tube says to apply toner before and after application. The first time I used this I applied toner before and after. On the second time, just after.

There are other types of masks at TFS. I got this because it’s the best for my sensitive skin. Let me know if you’ve tried other TFS masks like this.

Waterproof Length

2011-08-10T21:20:00.000+08:00

I have this thing for trying out different mascaras. I can’t just stick to one. I think if you’re a long-time follower of this blog, you’ve already noticed that. I’ve had my share of ups and downs with mascaras but this one is definitely an up:

It says “length and waterproof” on the cover. Both check. I need to use my oil based Etude House Lip & Eye makeup remover for this. For the length part, see Exhibit A:

This was taken right after I applied the mascara. Does it last? See Exhibit B:

This was taken in the afternoon while I was on duty in our booth. There’s nothing special about the wand but it works:

What I like about this mascara is there are no annoying smells, it doesn’t clump and it doesn’t claim all that hullabaloo. It does what it says – it lengthens and it’s waterproof.

The wand is a bit thin though and I always fear that it might snap so I always carefully put this back into the tube. It doesn’t smudge on my lower eye area so that’s really good news as I’ve tried a lot of mascaras claiming they don’t smudge but they always do.

If you want this mascara and would also like to save a few bucks, I have another one available at Hyphen for only Php1,400. Yes, it’s authentic Shu Uemura. We don’t sell fakes at Hyphen. I get ticked whenever people say that my NAKED palette and other Sephora/UD products are fake. Just letting off steam here. = )

Just Arrived at Hyphen!

2011-08-05T21:05:00.000+08:00

Order yours now only from Hyphen!

Hyphen Luxe Shoot

2011-08-03T22:35:00.000+08:00

Here are the photos, as promised in my previous post. Here, I used the Revlon PhotoReady liquid foundation and the Fanny Serrano 2-Way Cake. For the colors, I used different palettes – Naked, UD<3 NY, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, etc, etc, etc.

We did different looks according to the clothes/dresses of each collection. Here are some of the looks:

M’s girl next door look

C’s romantic look (take note, C is super acidic that’s why I used a lighter shade on her)

M’s romantic look

C’s K-pop look

M’s goddess look

C’s party girl look

M’s rebel look

So what do you think? After all the heat, sweat and clothes changing, both Revlon and FS products held up. It was a shame because we only had to take a few photos for each look.

So, I really recommend these products if you want to glam up for a special occasion but don’t want to compromise your budget.

Models: C and M

Photos: Kitten

Hair: my best friend Celine

MUA: moi

Stylist: Celine and moi

Surprise Products

2011-08-03T21:47:00.000+08:00

When I started getting serious with makeup, I stayed away from drugstore and local brands just because I thought the quality of branded makeup is much better. I was wrong. Here are two surprise products that impressed me.

Fanny Serrano Two-Way Cake

Revlon PhotoReady Liquid Foundation

Let’s start with the FS Two-Way Cake. This is very affordable at less than Php500. For all you international readers, Fanny Serrano is a famous makeup artist in the Philippines. He is one of the best and one of the pioneers in the local industry.

My mentors say that if you want an affordable quality makeup, then you should go with this line. But, someone also told me that FS buys makeup from Taiwan by the kilo and just repackages it to look like an exclusive line. So I was torn but one day I needed something affordable fast. So I took a chance and bought 2 shades of the two-way cake.

“Oh, my.” That was the first thing I said when I applied it on my client’s face. The texture is very fine. It applies great with a sponge or with a fluffy brush. It also lasts a long time. I used this on a photo shoot and it stayed on quite nicely even on an oily face. So I bought a third shade.

But of course, for makeup to last long, you must have a good foundation (pardon the pun). I wasn’t a believer of the Revlon PhotoReady line even after all those good reviews on different blogs until I’ve tried it myself. I used this as a base on my models and can I just say that they looked perfect in photos? They looked flawless. I used this on my friend A in the LA Colors Abstract EOTD post and I kept looking at her face all afternoon. She did not even need to retouch her makeup when we went our separate ways. Amazing!

The only downside of this product are the shades. They are either too light or too dark on Filipina skin. You have to mix the correct shade. I’ll show you some photos of the shoot we did for Hyphen Luxe next.

Haul-over Wednesday

2011-08-03T20:51:00.000+08:00

I’m pretty late with my Haul-over Wednesday posts. I keep losing track of what day it is because of my crazy schedule. This has been a haul I made a couple of weeks back:

From Clinique, I got my favorite facial scrub:

From Paul & Joe, this Protective Powder Compact Foundation which I am totally in love with:

And from Kenzo, I got their newest perfume, Silk, that makes me swoon:

What’s the best part of shopping? Gifts with purchases!

I will make separate posts on each but I think I already made a review about the 7-day scrub.

Deep Clean?

2011-07-31T08:02:00.000+08:00

I don’t think so. Y’all know that I use Clinique’s 3-Step System but a few weeks ago I developed rashes and a few pimples so I tried using this:

Huge mistake. I ended up with more rashes and pimples that covered half of my right cheek and my chin. I only used this for 4 days and ended up like that. I stopped using it and went to Clinique for a consultation. Turns out, my skin is Type 3 now. It’s because of the changing weather. They gave me samples and I tried them and I’m happy to report that I only have a few rashes left.

I really feel bad about this product as it’s very affordable, it has a nice smell and I really feel that it would have been great had I had normal skin.

So I guess the moral of the story for me is to not try any other product and just stick to what works. Have you ever had a product disaster like mine?

Haul-over Wednesday

2011-07-29T22:56:00.000+08:00

I forgot to post this last Wednesday.

Even when I was younger, I loved collecting accessories. So I guess that explains this haul:

The top three are gifts for my cousin and grandma.

I got these all from my friend who sells accessories. What was your midweek pick-me-up?

Weather Defense

2011-07-27T22:50:00.000+08:00

For the first time in my life, I’ve experienced split ends. I have no-fuss hair so I was really shocked when I noticed those darned split ends. I asked my former stylist about it and she said that it might be the weather. As you can recall, the summer months were brutal.

It was fortunate that I saw this product when Kitten and I went out one day in June:

This is the Sunsilk Co-Creations Weather Defense Serum. Kitten also bought one but in another variant. She already blogged about it.

I use this product 2-3x a week at night. Why at night you say? In the morning I apply Monea Curling Milk to my hair and they don’t jive. This makes my hair too limp so I decided to use it at night. Besides, the body repairs itself at night right?

The smell is wonderful. It’s non-irritating. The texture is a bit oily but not too much that you would end up with splotched pillows. I apply one squirt to one side and another squirt to the other.

After a month of using this product with the L’oreal repair shampoo (red and white), I’ve noticed that my hair is healing. There are still a few split ends left but not like before. I will continue using this product until my hair fully heals.

This costs more or less Php200. And for a brand whose shampoo I’m allergic too, I am more than satisfied with the results.

Abstract EOTD’s

2011-07-27T11:58:00.000+08:00

I tried doing some EOTD’s using the LA Colors Abstract palette but there was poor lighting in our booth so I had a hard time making the colors show. I hope you’ll get an idea though.

This is my bestfriend C. I used pinks, corals and whites on her.

This is our friend A. I used lavenders and purples on her at her request.

Here’s another shot:

A few days ago, I used greens for my EOTD:

This palette is available at Hyphen. I will try to do more EOTD’s in the coming days.

Pininhos from a Butterfly

2011-07-25T14:04:00.000+08:00

I got a surprise last week:

My favorite in the lot

Filipino Pride

Pretty studs

Going Global

Thank you Ahne for the wonderful gifts! There’s actually one more pahabol that I forgot to take a photo of. Luckily, she blogged about it here.

Now, I told MB that he should buy me enough Havaianas to fit all of these Pininhos!

LA Colors Abstract Artist Palette

2011-07-23T23:56:00.000+08:00

“Oh wow”. That was the first thing I said when I swatched this palette. This palette is absolutely cheap at only Php650 (at the Hyphen Store). It has 50 colors so that’s 13 pesos for each color. I was absolutely shocked when I touched one of the eyeshadows. It had a very creamy texture. When I swatched it on the back of my hand, it was love at first sight. The colors were so vibrant, so visible, even the white one. Even the other sellers in our bazaar gushed how pretty the colors were. Just one swipe and the color payoff was great. Pigmentation, obviously, is great.

low light swatch

I used this today when MB and I went out. We spent the whole morning driving and in the afternoon we went to MOA to attend to some business. When I got home, my pink eyeshadow was still very pink! This does not happen with my ELF palette. I used this with Money from my UD <3 NYC palette and it held up pretty good. As a matter of fact, Money was drowned by the black Bobbi Brown eyeliner and the Pink LA Colors eyeshadow. Money was still visible but it was overpowered by the other colors.

low light 2

Dare I say that this is comparable to Urban Decay eyeshadows? Yes! With the texture and pigmentation, absolutely! I’m not saying this because Hyphen carries this product. This is truly what I feel about this palette. I didn’t have high expectations for this palette because of the price but now I’m a believer.

with flash

I can guarantee that it does not fade easily because:

1. I only used Benefit Lemon Aid (also available at Hyphen) as a base. (Most of my eyeshadows do not last long with Lemon Aid.)

2. I swatched all the colors on my arm and I already wiped my arm several times with the Beauty Bar Brush Cleaner (yeah, I know. More on that later.) and I even sprayed it directly to the colors but they are still visible. I will have to wipe them off with a good makeup remover later.

with flash

I used my Sigma E55 brush to apply this on my eyelid. I tapped off my brush once then applied the eyeshadow to my lid. There were no fallouts. The eyeshadow glided on smoothly. The color was also balanced and it stayed on. Some of my eyeshadows (like NYX and ELF) do not look balanced on my lid. The color on one side would be more pronounced so I have to do several layers. With the LA Colors e/s, it was flawless. It also reminds me of my Wet n Wild palettes.

Here are closeup photos:

That pink is absolutely gorgeous! It reminds me of NARS Schiap.

Because it has minimal to zero fallouts, it did not give my eyes any allergic reactions. The NYX palette is harsh on my eyes. The ELF palette makes my eyes itchy when the powder comes into contact but this palette was A-okay.

By the way, this palette is Abstract. There’s another one that’s called Inspiration. Here it is:

Both are available at Hyphen! Okay, I’m going to stop waxing poetic about this palette now. If you want to try this palette or other LA Colors palettes, just visit Hyphen.

P.S.
About the Brush Cleaner, I finally found a use for it! It’s good for removing eyeshadow on my fingers when I swatch a new product. Finally, I can get rid of this cleaner!

The Battle of the BB’s

2011-07-20T23:40:00.000+08:00

Since there are a lot of review requests from friends, I present to you Bobbi Brown’s BB Cream:

This shade is Light. I’ve been using this for 2 months now and I am declaring this as my HG BB Cream. I only use this for special occasions as it’s a bit pricey at Php2,160(?). I have super acidic skin on my face and I’ve tried countless foundations – MAC, Clinique, Bobbi, Shu and all of them failed me. My face became darker after a few hours. My mentor decided to use this BB cream as a base then topped it off with a dual foundation. Oh my, the results were astounding! 7 hours and counting and my face became only a tad darker. I only have to clear off the oil then re-touch my foundation and voila, no more acidic skin!

What’s also great about this is it did not give me allergies. The scent is not strong nor irritating.

The coverage is not too great compared to my Laura Mercier liquid foundation (more on that later). This BB cream gives you a light coverage. My pimple scars are still visible even after application.

Another thing that I like about this is it lasts the whole day. My face looks clear, polished and even-toned unlike with just ordinary foundation where oil and dirt tend to overpower my makeup. This BB cream protects my face against those nasty things.

I use a sponge to apply this. You can use a brush but I think my skin prefers sponges for a better coverage.

On the other hand, I’ve also tried this BB Mousse or UV Under Base Mousse from Shu Uemura:

The shade is Beige. I only used this for a week or so then stopped because my mentor noticed that my face became really dark. I was soooo ashy! Too bad as I really enjoyed using it. It didn’t give me rashes, the scent is good and I only need a small amount to cover my entire face. It’s also light and gives my face a fresh feeling. But, it’s also quite pricey at Php2,000+. I’ll just use this on special clients.

I’d like to try other BB Creams that are good for super sensitive, super acidic skin. Recommendations are very much appreciated!

Haul-over Wednesday

2011-07-20T00:49:00.001+08:00

There are a few Haul-over Wednesdays that I missed. Here’s one of them:

Bobbi Brown brush set with kit

Bobbi Brown BB Cream in Light

Photo credits: Kitten. She took the photos at Marciano’s. It was a bit dark that’s why she had to use the flash. Thanks sis!

The Saturday Clinique Face

2011-07-19T00:30:00.002+08:00

I said I would post a close up look of my FOTD by Baby of Clinique but as usual, I forgot because of the gazillion things that I have to do. But here it is now:

Baby was fooling around with my camera. She was the one who was taking these shots. I was really not in the mood for photos but as they say, the show must go on!

Here’s a close up of the eye:

I love how they make me look simple and fresh! A perfect pick-me-up!

Guess who visited Hyphen?

2011-07-16T23:21:00.000+08:00

First of all, I am very thankful and grateful to the Lord for all the success that Hyphen is experiencing. To Him I give all the glory.

I am super, super tired but I just had to blog this. If you’re a regular of this blog, you’d know that Hyphen already has celebrity clients. This time around at SuperSale Rockwell Tent, BLOGGERS invaded Hyphen!

Liz of Project Vanity

This will be my signature pose for all three photos! My back is killing me already! LOL.

Liz told me that she is a regular visitor of Hyphen online. We both know each other through our blogs so we talked about things like we were friends already but in reality, it was the first time that we met.

Lauren of iambourgeois

Lauren was a surprise visitor. I introduced myself to her and we talked a little. I wasn’t able to talk to her as much as I wanted to because the booth was swamped with customers when she arrived. I had to ask her to wait for our photo-op. Good thing she was really sweet about it.

Kari of Pretty Owlsome

Lastly, the super duper sweet Kari! I saw her walking past our booth but we had customers so I wasn’t able to call her. Fortunately, she came back so I called her. We chatted a little but again, our booth was swamped so I asked her to wait for our photo. Kari was like a breath of fresh air. I was already tired because of the day’s events and I was wearing these new wedges that I bought (more on that later) which didn’t help make the situation better. When Kari left, I was energized again. She is super sweet and super nice (please pardon all the ‘supers’ as my brain is already in hibernate mode). I’d love to spend more time with her to get to know her better. I think we will be good friends, just like Kitten and moi. Before he left, she didn’t forget to say bye to me. Kari, I hope I can see you again in a less stressful environment! Thank you for visiting and thanks for your purchase!

And I saw another blogger, Michelle of Mitchwearsclothes! Oh, yeah! I saw you! As a matter of fact, I’ve seen you in all my bazaars! I wasn’t able to call you earlier because of all the customers. I hope we can chat next time!

Thank you to all the bloggers who visited, to all our customers and friends who continue to support Hyphen!