2:26 PM
At long last, Cebuana Benebabes can easily stock up on Rockateur, Porefessional and other bestsellers from Benefit Cosmetics from its first ...
At long last, Cebuana Benebabes can easily stock up on Rockateur, Porefessional and other bestsellers from Benefit Cosmetics from its first store in Cebu at SM Seaside City. I've loved Benefit for years, so finally having our own store here seems surreal!
The Benefit store in SM Seaside is one of only three in the world so far with this new look. Check out the giant bottle of Benetint! Wouldn't we all love a lifetime supply of lip and cheek tint?
Sample sizes are available for those who want to try the products without committing to the full size (and full price) just yet.
It's an entire world of difference being able to test the products in store instead of just shopping online. The fun, girly colors and the store set up really encourage you to spend as much time as you want testing out the products before deciding which one to take home.
Brow products galore! Benefit launched ten new brow products just this year with six different shades for the colored items. Research and development for the new brow products took three years! The store even has a brow bar where you can have your eyebrows threaded, groomed, and beautified to perfection.
Shine is always an issue with the heat and humidity in Cebu. The Porefessional line helps with reducing pores, extending the life of your makeup, and easy touch-ups on the go.
Check out Benefit Cosmetics at the upper ground floor of SM Seaside City. You can be sure I was a tad naughty during the store opening and did a little haul! Currently testing these products, so I'll have some reviews up in the next few weeks!
8:17 PM
One of my favorite sites to shop for beauty has just turned a year old! Althea Korea has a bunch of birthday promos starting today. If you...
One of my favorite sites to shop for beauty has just turned a year old! Althea Korea has a bunch of birthday promos starting today. If you haven't tried shopping on Althea yet, read here about why I'm a die-hard customer of the site.
Start the party with this limited edition birthday box complete with a party hat and party balloon inside - all the better to greet Althea a Happy Birthday with! For orders placed from July 20 onwards, while stocks last.
Be one of the first 1,500 shoppers from today onwards and get free beauty products - and they're not talking tiny samples either, but full size goodies! While stocks last, so better check it out soon before they're all gone.
Pick three best-selling products and get a 100% rebate. Do check the fine print for this one, as terms and conditions apply.
Once you do get your limited edition birthday kit, join the #AltheaTurns1 contest on Instagram. They're giving away 10 million Korean Won worth of prizes, including a Macbook Air, iPad Air 2, Galaxy S6 Edge, store credit, beauty hampers and more. Contest runs from today until August 15, so go go go.
Happy K-beauty shopping on Althea Korea, everyone!
1:26 PM
I've been getting a lot of questions about my current skincare routine before bed, so I'm finally getting around to answering you in...
I've been getting a lot of questions about my current skincare routine before bed, so I'm finally getting around to answering you in detail. Here we go!
1. I use micellar water to remove makeup. I've only realized in the past few months the importance of doing this so that your cleanser can really clean your skin, not work to remove makeup. I use Bioderma, but I have a couple of more affordable micellar waters on backup.
2. My cleanser varies from time to time because I'm always trying new ones. I'm about to use up Nature Republic Jeju Sparkling Mud facial cleanser, which comes in a big tube that lasts for months.
3. Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner is a good toner that doesn't feel harsh on skin. Don't you hate toners full of alcohol that sting? This one doesn't.
4. Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First serum is a game changer that I started using a few months ago. It's great for removing the very last traces of dirt and makeup on your face and improves skin texture. This is a really good one that I will repurchase when I finish this bottle.
5. The Black Sugar serum is wiped on then patted off. I follow it with a leave-on serum like Sooper Beaute Pore Minimizing Serum on areas where pores are most visible (nose and skin right beside it) or 3W Red Ginseng Gold.
6. Dior Diorsnow Anti-Spot Repairing Creme on freckles and dark spots. It hasn't been that effective on me though.
7. I'm about to use up Etude House Collagen Moistfull firming eye cream. I didn't see visible results, but this is an okay eye cream for night that isn't greasy or heavy.
8. Lip balm. I never go to bed without it!
9. About once a week, I will use a mask - a sheet mask, blackhead remover or black sugar mask to exfoliate, depending how my skin feels.
If you're a stickler for skincare like me, never underestimate the importance of getting enough sleep and staying well hydrated! No amount of skincare will be very effective if you don't have those two bases covered.
First published in The Beauty Enthusiast in Sun.Star Cebu on July 15, 2016.
12:16 PM
Just this year, Chanel released a new line of lip products called Rouge Coco Stylo. Let's first admire that sophisticated black and g...
Just this year, Chanel released a new line of lip products called Rouge Coco Stylo. Let's first admire that sophisticated black and gold packaging.
Rouge Coco Stylo is formulated to have the pigmentation of a lipstick, the shine of a lip gloss, and the comfort of a lip balm. I have the shades 218 Script and 212 Recit.
You might be able to tell from this photo how shiny these are. The packaging is obviously different from traditional Chanel lipsticks. It's a slim pen type with a twist-up end, and a cap (with that classic Chanel logo on top) that clicks firmly into place.
Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo in Recit and Script
Recit is described as "a deep purple," while Script is described as "a discreet and natural nude."
On my lips, Recit is a lovely violet-berry but nowhere near a deep purple, with mostly full color payoff. I find this shade wearable and flattering. I think this would look good on most skin tones.
Script is a medium brown nude on me with some pinky tones, and gives a semi-opaque finish. I often have trouble with nudes; this is slightly too warm on me, but I can make the color work a bit better by adjusting my cheek makeup or layering a red lip stain underneath.
Both shades have the same high gloss finish and feel very slick upon application. Both lasted a good five hours on me. The shine lasted over an hour, which is a lot longer than most lip glosses. The products leave a slight stain and a sheen behind and make the lips feel pillowy soft. It is indeed a very luxurious product for those days you want to be a little more indulgent.
In Cebu, you can purchase Rouge Coco Stylo at the Chanel counter in Rustan's. Don't forget to try out the special mirror at the counter with adjustable lighting that shows you just how your makeup will look in different lighting conditions, whether in bright sunlight, natural light, fluorescent light or candlelight.
Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo
(Photo courtesy of Chanel)
Keira Knightley wearing Chanel Rouge Coco Dimitri
(Photo courtesy of Chanel)
Disclaimer: These products were sponsored by Rustan's, but I was not paid for this review.
10:45 AM
I'm not a fan of K-pop, but I do absolutely love Korean beauty products. I don't think I've met one I didn't like. Whatever ...
I'm not a fan of K-pop, but I do absolutely love Korean beauty products. I don't think I've met one I didn't like. Whatever brand it may be, Korean makeup and skin care is generally easy to use, effective and, always a plus, often in cute packaging.
While we do have Skin Food, Etude House, The Face Shop, and Tony Moly in Cebu, there are other brands we don't have access to. I was lucky enough to be one of the chosen bloggers to first try out Althea Korea before the site had formally launched. ph.althea.kr launched in February and we were given store credit to try out the site. I was so happy with my shopping experience I've been a repeat (paying) customer of Althea, and it's been a good transaction each time.
Some of my picks from Althea Korea
The site has hundreds of K-beauty products from different brands: Laneige, Innisfree, Iope, Missha, Holika Holika, Peripera, etc., etc. For me, the size of the inventory is just enough so you have plenty of choices but don't get too overwhelmed. Toner, facial cleanser, cleansing oil, sunblock, moisturizer, BB cream, brow products, eye pencils, eyeshadow, lipstick, lip tints...
You get free shipping for a minimum P1,500 worth of orders. Considering all the affordable finds on Althea, you can get a lot of items for your P1,500. Many items are cheaper than in store. You get a little sample with each purchase, like a packet of facial wash or a sheet mask. They often have special offers, sales, and discounts. Best of all, Althea delivers door to door, straight from Korea. I love shopping online but have no time to go to the post office to pick up parcels, so door to door shipping is the only way to go for me. From the time that your order is confirmed, it takes about 10 days to get to your door.
You'll notice with all the boxes in this photo that they all arrived in good order; no crushed or dented boxes, so you know they're being handled well. The boxes are very sturdy so your precious things inside arrive in perfect shape, and you can reuse the boxes too.
Make sure you are on ph.althea.kr because I sometimes get led to the Malaysian website for some reason. Enjoy!
