12:12 PM
If you're still on an allowance, or if spending money on cosmetics is not a priority to you, not to worry. There are products out there...
If you're still on an allowance, or if spending money on cosmetics is not a priority to you, not to worry. There are products out there that prettify without costing a pretty penny. Here are five products under P300 that have worked well for me and most people I’ve heard of who have tried them out. You don’t have to worry about scouring dozens of online shops to find these. These are all products that are available right now in Watsons or the department store. (Please forgive me if the prices aren’t all exact, as I bought most of these months ago.)
Maybelline Baby Lips tinted lip balmThis is perfect for anyone who loves a decent amount of color in a lip balm formula. I have it in the shade Neon Rose, which despite the name, adds just a pretty reddish pink tint that is very wearable during the day, and is really not too neon at all for work or for school. It’s also moisturizing without feeling too sticky. Price: P119.
Ever Bilena lip pencilThere are a few brands offering affordable lip pencils, but some of them hardly last. The lip pencils by Ever Bilena offer amazing pigmentation and staying power. I like that they are all matte, because unless you have the exact lipstick to wear with a frosty lip liner, the contrasting effect is going to be too 90s in a bad way. The Ever Bilena pencils are not too soft that they wear down with every use, but also not too hard and don’t scratch or tug during application. The only down side is the color selection is quite limited with only a couple of natural colors, but I can deal with it. Price: P100.
Ever Bilena matte lipstickThis is one of my favorite budget finds, and it’s a popular product for good reason. The finish is matte but the product still feels satiny on the lips. It does not dry out my lips like some other matte lipsticks can, and applies smoothly on its own without having to put on lip balm first. Shade range is very good and seems to really have been considered for Asian skin, whether you’re morena, chinita or mestiza looking for a subtle or trendy color (no oranges or purples, though). Price: P165.
Nichido tinted brow gelIf, like me, you use brow gel every day, using a high-end brand can get quite expensive. Honestly, most of them seem to do the same thing, but the wand matters a lot in not clumping on the product, and staying power varies. I have this in two colors, but the shade Ash Blonde suits me better. Be warned that this product does not last the whole day. If you have an oily T-zone like me, it will be pretty much gone after six hours. Price: P238.
LA Girl Pro Conceal concealerIf you follow a lot of beauty accounts on Instagram or YouTube, you’ll notice this is one of the most hyped-about complexion products this year. It’s a liquid concealer that’s very blendable even though the consistency is quite thick. It offers medium to full coverage depending on how much you use. Be careful not to squeeze too hard, or too much product is going to come out. Price: P299, although I think I may have gotten mine on discount. The regular price could be around P330.
A version of this post was published in SunStar Cebu on November 20, 2015, and can also be found on the SunStar website.
3:14 PM
For years, I have been obsessed with casual curls. I already own two curling irons, but my one-inch Watson's one doesn't heat up, an...
For years, I have been obsessed with casual curls. I already own two curling irons, but my one-inch Watson's one doesn't heat up, and the curls it creates don't last long. My Conair one at 1.25 inches is too big for my currently mid-length hair.
I am loving the Nova Easy Curl curling iron for my curly-haired ambitions!
It has this plastic outer shell with slats that fit your hair while you're winding strands around the wand. It also has a clip towards the bottom, but I don't use this; it kind of makes me nervous thinking my hair will somehow get tangled in it and burn off. Eek!
Take note that the plugs are rounded. Our electrical sockets at home are flat, but I have an adaptor, so this was no problem.
To use, press the power button and give it 5-10 minutes to heat up. Make sure it's hot enough so that it will actually create a curl; otherwise you'll just be applying heat to your hair without results.
I wind sections of my hair around the wand, hold it in place for 10 seconds, then let go. The plastic shell really helps prevent burns. I can't count the number of times I've gotten (mildly) burnt from a bare curling wand. I'm also really glad this is not a heavy wand. Doing curls on yourself does require some arm strength, holding the iron with one hand while winding hair with the other!
Casual curls made easy!
To achieve different-sized curls, just use bigger or smaller sections of hair. This makes the overall look less fussy and more relaxed. Don't forget to alternate directions when winding the hair; doing them all in one direction will make it look too perfect and doll-like. Nothing casual about that!
My hair is thick and has a combination of natural textures - straighter on the top layers and wavier on the bottom. It unfortunately doesn't hold curls very well. While testing this, it was really important for me to see how long the curl would hold. Surprisingly, although the curls loosened after a couple of hours, my waves were still there 12 hours after curling! This was with second-day hair, no styling products used.
The Nova easy curl is available for P465 at @theainstashop on Instagram; less than what I spent for my other two curling irons. It was sent to me for my review. I do not review sponsored items that I do not like because I don't want to say something bad about a free item; this one, I love! This is a styling tool that's easy to use even for beginners, and impressive especially at this price.
12:32 AM
It's been over a year (already!) since the first Kiehl's store opened in Cebu . For the longest time, I was only ever using their li...
It's been over a year (already!) since the first Kiehl's store opened in Cebu. For the longest time, I was only ever using their lip gloss and lip balm. Now that the store's here, I have not stopped using the brand since the opening.
I just wanted to be honest about the experiences I've had with their products. Some are hits, while others are misses.
Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing Conditioner, Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser,
Midnight Recovery Concentrate, Actively Correcting and Beautifying BB Cream
Perhaps one of the brand's most popular products is the Midnight Recovery Concentrate and is the best thing I've tried from Kiehl's. This stuff replaced my Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair as part of my anti-aging nighttime routine. I don't use this every single night because it is expensive at P2,895 per bottle. But even if I did, it would still last a long time because you only need three drops per use. I put one drop each on my forehead and each cheek, then massage it in. When I remember, I put a drop on my neck, too.
The product absorbs immediately and isn't greasy. Every time I wake up after using this, my skin just looks and feels really supple, healthy and even.
The Actively Correcting and Beautifying BB cream is always with me when I travel. It doesn't streak at all like some BB creams do, provides light coverage to even out the complexion, and really saves me on hot days with SPF50 and no caking. At P1,995, this is an expensive BB cream, so I don't know yet if I love it enough to repurchase.
I have mixed feelings about the Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser. I like that it cleanses the face well without any stinging or tightness. But I've found you really need to use a makeup remover first because this isn't very good at removing makeup. This leaves skin clean and soft, and for P1,095 you get a lot of product in 150ml. (The tube looks smaller than normal because I've cut it open to get out the remaining amount.) For the price, though, I wish it would do more.
The Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing Conditioner is supposed to be good for dry hair. My hair is not particularly dry, but I want to nourish it as much as possible because I do color it regularly. (What was too dry, which was half my length, was chopped off earlier this year!) While the conditioner is good enough because you don't need a lot, and it conditions without weighing down hair, I didn't really see a remarkable difference in the softness or smoothness of my hair. I was expecting more for something that cost over P1,000.
I still like Kiehl's as a brand, but based on my experiences and the reviews I've read online, some products work well on some people, but not on others. I would say save your money with the cleanser and conditioner and splurge on the Midnight Recovery Concentrate instead. I'm still looking to try their other products and will review those in the future.
1:57 PM
I talked about Bioderma micellar water and a few other products in my beauty column a couple of weeks ago, but wanted to expound a bit...
I talked about Bioderma micellar water and a few other products in my
beauty column a couple of weeks ago, but wanted to expound a bit more on this wonder product here on my blog.
As I said in my column: For years I’ve heard of this cult product, but never tried it until recently. For this one, I must say the hype is real. Several drops on one cotton ball or pad is enough to remove a full day’s worth of makeup with no stinging, no stickiness and no tight feeling. It really does feel like water when you’re wiping it on your face, but removes all traces of makeup. This is probably the lazy girl’s answered prayer to cleansing the face at the end of the day. I use this as a makeup remover then follow it with facial wash, so that my facial wash is actually cleansing my skin instead of working to remove makeup.
I should've started using makeup remover sooner. I was noticing that quite a lot of makeup was still coming off on my cotton ball/pad of toner even after washing my face. I've found that if you wear makeup everyday like me, it is ideal to remove makeup first so that your facial wash can do its job better. I think this will also work well for those with sensitive skin because there is no burning or stinging whatsoever. And, if you hate oily makeup removers, this isn't greasy at all.
I got this 500ml bottle for about P920 from Dara Beauty Market in La Guardia, Lahug, which I've been visiting frequently because of their lower-than-retail prices for authentic beauty products.
11:12 AM
Some of you may have read in my newspaper column last month that I've been curious about facial mists, but I wanted to wait until I fin...
Some of you may have read in my newspaper column last month that I've been curious about facial mists, but I wanted to wait until I finally got MAC Fix+ before I wrote a review about all the ones that I own.
NuSkin NaPCA moisture mist, Mario Badescu Facial Spray,
MAC Fix +, Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray
I've had NaPCA by NuSkin the longest. (It's just pronounced as "napca" not N-A-P-C-A.) The bottle says: NaPCA Moisture Mist is a conditioning spray that supplies skin and hair with a quick surge of moisture. Packed with natural moisturizing ingredients like NaPCA, Hyaluronic Acid, and Urea, this oil-free formula helps maintain a constant moisture level in your skin while fighting the drying effects of the environment.
Hyaluronic acid is famed for moisture retention, and I think this mist is the best of the ones I own at adding moisture to the skin without feeling sticky. I use this in the summer especially after too much sun and I don't want to feel hot by applying moisturizer, and also in cooler months before bedtime.
This is in a 250ml bottle. I don't know how much it costs since it was given to me, but it's available from NuSkin sellers in Cebu.
Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater says on the bottle: Once you've tried our rejuvenating facial spray, you won't want to be without it. Use it to set makeup, soothe your skin in dehydrating conditions, or to give your skin a quick boost anytime, anywhere. It also says it's paraben free.
I bought this to freshen up at the office throughout the day, but I find it makes my skin feel stickier within the hour after application, which is the exact opposite of what I wanted it to do. Of all the facial mists I have, this one also has the strongest fragrance. But I like using this at night as the last step in my skin care routine and I seem to wake up with softer skin and no oiliness in the morning. (Yes, I still get a bit oily sometimes on the nose area even while asleep.) I got this 118ml bottle for P445 at Rustan's.
I've been after the MAC Fix+ spray for some time, but it kept getting sold out at the counter in Rustan's. Contrary to what some people call it, this is not a setting spray. The bottle says: A soothing moisture mist that refreshes the skin and finishes makeup. Hold bottle 12" away from face and spray evenly. Use before or after makeup.
I feel this is better at making makeup look less cakey in its finishing capacity, but does not make makeup last longer. I like to use this after moisturizer and before primer just to add extra prep to the skin. I feel it makes my skin look and feel more supple. I have used it with some of my regular foundations and face powders and I feel my skin looks more natural after. My T-zone tends to start getting oily 3 hours after makeup but with this, the oiliness is held off for about 5 to 6 hours after makeup application.
I like that this has a lock in the cap so that it doesn't spray everywhere if you happen to be traveling, but of all my facial mists, I dislike this spray mechanism the most. It's a more concentrated spritz instead of a fine, even mist. I find I have to tap it on my skin after to help distribute the product. But, I love the effect the product gives me. I might just transfer this into one of the other bottles if any of the others run out.
I bought this 100ml bottle of Fix+ for P1,150 at NAIA Terminal 3 on my way home from Vietnam earlier this week. It's the newest in my collection but I am really enjoying it.
Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray Thirsty Skin Relief to me seems like the most no-fuss spray. To me, it does not have as much moisturizing power as NaPCA, but I feel it still provides a boost of moisture.
Because of its size, I always bring this with me when I travel. In drier conditions or longer plane rides, I almost always get dry patches and/or a tight feeling on my cheeks, and this is so convenient for freshening up on the plane or when I'm out. I'm afraid I don't know how much this costs since this was given to me by Clinique.
I like using these face mists to amp up my skin care. If you're looking for a makeup setting spray, try the one by Urban Decay instead, which I find really locks makeup in place.
