finally! an affordable skin care program that works

half of my shopping time for beauty products is spent perusing the local Watsons' isle for skin care goodies. i'm not one to go for an expensive product just because it's the thing. i find it quite exciting to discover the magic behind drugstore products and come out as happy as using those top brands.

case in point: these two lovelies that absolutely did wonders for my combination/oily skin.

1. Ponds Pure White Facial Foam with Activated Carbon

one of the more sci-fi products in the market right now, but forget the chemistry lesson: it works! it dries out my t-zone without drying my whole face. and i love the black and pink packaging. it matches our bathroom tiles.

2. Myra E Facial Moisturizer

after hearing mixed reviews on the Tinted Moisturizer, i decided to take it easy with the cheapest one on the block. a bit runny, but dries out great. not as heavy as Nivea Creme, which i adore. on the whole, this one's a solid product that is super affordable and performs good too.

doesn't it feel great to finally have a good skin care regimen and one that's affordable too? it feels awesome. people have commented my "blooming" skin, all thanks to the less than Php 300.00 i spent on these two.

little survey from temptalia

i got this one from temptalia.com, another beauty/makeup website i frequent during my spare time. the product reviews and comment sections are absolutely helpful, especially the category on blushes. ooh love.

What was your favorite beauty purchase from August?
hmmm. lemme think. that would be my Etude House eyelash curler. my everyday look won't be complete without curling my straight lashes. and Pond's Cold Cream. it's my savior.

What was your least favorite beauty purchase from August?
Pond's Flawless White Day Brightening Cream. it does the exact opposite of what it claims. it dries my skin out! and NARS Concealer Stick in Praline. it's pretty much useless for me. my Fashion 21 Perfect Stick in Milk Tea is waaaay better, price and quality-wise.

What do you regret not purchasing (beauty-wise) in August?
E.L.F. Powder Blush in Tickled Pink and Candid Coral. Pink Lemonade could've waited a month or so more.

and just to complete the set, i added this one question...

What do you not regret not purchasing (beauty-wise) in August?
Etude House Cleanser. Pond's Cold Cream works just as good, at almost half the price.

now it's your turn to answer these lovely questions about August purchases. what's your take on these?

weekly survey, vol. 1

sometimes, i miss the friendster bulletin board... :P

1. Mood:
- on a caffeine high. 3 cups of coffee to save me from a drowsy shift. mondays are terrible.

2. The last dream you remember having?
- hmmm. i don't really remember my dreams. but it was something to do with B.

3. Ankle boots — yay or nay?
- i'm an avid follower of yhaoo omg!'s what were they thinking and 2 hot 2 handle posts. somehow ankle booties are always labeled as hoof-like in all the pics. so nay for me.

4. A skincare product you’ve been wanting to try?
- something with activated carbon. i'm curious with the dirt-absorption thing. bizarro but interesting. pond's is a bit common, but i saw an activated carbon bar in somera at the mall.

5. Do you have a twin?
- i'd like to think of B as my identical twin in the sense that we both are alike in a lot of ways. yay!

6. What do you like most about your best friend?
- the fact that he's my boyfriend! another yay!

7. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
- it takes me an hour to prepare for going out.

8. Last time you changed your hair?
- my last haircut was in july. other than that, my hair is a virgin when it comes to treatments. i've only ever tried a hair relax and spa once.

9. Have you ever lied about your age?
- not really. i haven't reached that age where i have to lie about it, one way or another.

10. Weekly goals:
- for this week, enjoy the weekend without killing my budget. i'm saving up for christmas. yes, already. :)

it's survey time! i got this survey from karen at the makeup and beauty blog. copy and post your own answers!

love all,

the secret world of cheap lip/cheek tints

waaaay back in high school and early college, pressed powder, lip balm and black liner was the height of makeup. bushy eyebrows, flyaway hair and just-there lashes was my everyday look.

what really got me started on makeup was this nifty beauty tool called lip/cheek tint. powder or cream blush seemed overboard to wear everyday, so i settled for lighter tints as my color saviors.

even until now, i still believe in the supreme undying awesomeness of lip/cheek tints. they are incredibly budget friendly, unless you go for the more expensive brands, and are super convenient for everyday wear and tear. but then again, you rarely have to go the upper end of the price spectrum because there are a goody number of cheap but trusty tints all over.

i love lip and cheek tints or stains because they don't feel heavy on your face, especially when you have oily skin like me. the color is also subtle, unless you apply a lot of product, with the effect of just giving you a natural flush. the color range is quite limited, but most tint colors are standardized in the sense that they can be used on different skin tones and types.

here are some cheap but chic tints that i absolutely adore...

1. Careline Lip and Cheek Tint, Php 80.00 (approx.)
- i remember the days... this was my first ever tint! i was in highschool, and drugstore makeup was all a highschool student's allowance could afford. this comes in only one shade, a deep fuchsia, but looks light when blended out. very liquid and dries out fast. the silver capped tube with flower detail is quite tacky, but it's a good old product for young girls. cheap too.

2. Ever Bilena Lip and Cheek Stain, Php 175.00 (approx.)
- i bought this one sale, two for around Php 200.00 so really not bad. it comes off more expensive when bought individually. there are 3 shades: red, orange and violet. i picked red and orange because they seemed wearable. the orange one was too light on me, i had to use a lot before a hint of color would appear. (i'm morena by the way.) the red one was better, an exactly red shade that makes me look flushed. still very runny, doesn't dry up too fast, but packaging is a total rip-off from the Body Shop's tint. minus points for that.

3. Penshoppe Cheek Tint in Blushed, Php 99.00
- now this one i absolutely adore! strictly, it's just a cheek stain, but it's so good and cheap that i have to put it here. it comes in a small tube, but you use only a small drop (seriously) and the color goes on great. just as its name suggests, you look like your blushing! color is peachy pink shade. slightly thicker and creamier. blends really well and minimal product usage with great color. not bad at all.

4. Bench Pretty When Pinched, Php 180.00
- it's a ddep violet/fuchsia shade, but looks great when blended out. i was amazed with this one because i swatched it on my arm and the color lasted hours. not at all bad for something so affordable. the pot is cute too, it looks like nail polish except that it's runny. super buy, this one.

5. SanSan Lip and Cheek Tint, price still to check
- i haven't really tried this one out, but SanSan is known for cheap but dependable products that i'm banking on the brand's great products reviews. it's a cherry red shade that reminds me of Ever Bilena, just a teeny bit lighter. i'm heading out to the HBC store to get my own bottle quite soon. but knowing SanSan, i'm sure this won't drain my pocket.

6. Fashion 21 Lip and Cheek Tint, not too sure about price, Php 200.00 below
- it comes with a cute silver roller ball, which i find quite convenient. i find it a bit expensive because even though the price isn't up there, the tube is a bit small. i've seen violet and red shades so far. i like the red shade a lot, it's cherry red that looks very sweet when blended out.

i know that there are other local brands out there, and i'd love to try and test them out. these cheap tints are really handy and worth your money. i wanted to try some of the more expensive brands, but Filipino mentality kicking in, we still prioritize the price. right ladies? who doesn't want a good deal these days? spend that hard-earned moolah on products that do their job without killing your cash cow.

spend the extra money on those expensive but trusted and utterly necessary products rather,

long weekend alert

this morning, i finally had the spare time to visit the salon and have my nails cleaned. what with spending all my free time with B or catching sleep or sometimes both, i only had the spare hour today.

my nails have grown really long in just two weeks. i have naturally short nails so i tend to grow them out a bit, but it was getting out of hand. probably one of the reasons i haven't had the heart to blog as long nails make typing such a chore. and just to save myself the dilemma of choosing what nail polish color to wear, i decided to go neat with just a colorless manicure and a warm mocha pedi.

i feel incredibly deprived of a good weekend. my shift schedule changed today, from a sunday-monday rest to a friday-saturday, party-friendly and boyfriend-friendly weekly off. i'm really looking forward to my first friday night out in months! B says he's parched from abstaining from beer and t-ice for too long. hehe.

i'm also quite excited for my long weekend. aside from getting friday and saturday off, i filed a personal leave for sunday, and we get monday off because it's a canadian holiday of some sort. (labor day, me thinks) plus, i have to report for duty on tuesday nigh. that means i get a much deserved and well earned four days ++ to spend with B. but that's not the only thing i'm looking forward to...

1. Creamy's Birthday Bash
- workmate Creamy's birthday is tomorrow (happy yappy birthday madam!) and she's throwing a bash this saturday. aside from the joyous notion that Creamy's house is a convenient 5-minute stroll from my crib, she's also a great cook. looking forward to yummy carbonara, sing-along with friends, and a fun time with co-workers.

2. Catching up on Blogs, and Sleep
- i get to sleep to my heart's content this weekend, but i'm definitely not spending the entire four days hogging off. i have a lot of blogging to do, particularly posting pictures for my blog.

3. Tagay Session with B
- B and i bonded over beer and t-ice. for the past 5 months i think, it's been total abstinence. i wonder how we held out so long. a few bottles by moonlight in my garden is a very simple way of quality time with my man. can't wait!

4. and possibly some shopping, i i have the cash to spare...
- those E.L.F. blushes can't get out of my head. waah! plus, i'm thinking of ordering Nyx Blush in Pinched. (another NARS Orgasm dupe posted on temptalia.)

really, the only thought dragging me through the week will be this loooong weekend. don't you just love that? i do.

hope you have a nice weekend too. i'm sure i will.

august 27 makeup loot

ack! i've been so out of it for the past two weeks or so. last i checked in, it was the middle of august. and now it's about to end, heralding the start of the -ber season and more importantly, Christmas festivites and cheer. (yes, Christmas season starts on the -ber months here at home!)

i haven't had any new products to try, because i've been blissfully in love with my NARS Orgasm blush, but when we had a Heroes Crazy Costume Day at work, i just had to have some new stuff. i picked Mulan as my hero, because i had this amjbitious idea of showing up to be a Chinese princess but i ended up looking like a giant sushi plate which consisted of a grand disaster in the form of an old red bathrobe over an old white night gown, black tights, black flats and a black sash.

you should have seen my face though, which was the only saving grace of my funny ensemble. and you should have seen my boss's reaction which was equal parts incredulity and hilarity. B was disappointed i didn't even take one picture. he needed a good laugh. but i just might get around to remaking it for my blog. hmmm.

i woke up early to get to the mall and grab some stuff. i needed to look pale, so i was scouring for a good porcelain finish foundation. i also needed some jet black eyeliner, a ruby red lip gloss and pink shimmery blush.

i ended up with these ultra-fab finds and i just dished out around Php 600.00. can you believe my good luck?! ooh la la.

1. E.L.F. Mineral Foundation in Fair, Php 299.00
2. E.L.F. All Over Color Stick in Pink Lemonade, Php 129.75
- i was a bit hesitant with the color, it appears to be a dark, fuchsia shade. but when i swatched it, it kinda looks familiar. a NARS Orgasm dupe perhaps? will post later. :)
3. Nichido Liquid Eyeliner, Php 68.00
- yes, frigging Php 68.00! it's the cheapest one there is, but it's such a solid product that it's a kikay kit staple. the applicator is soft and thin, the packaging saves a lot of space, and the product can last. super duper fab deal here.
4. Fashion 21 Color Lip Gloss in Shade #3, Php 100.00
- possibly my favorite discovery. it looks exactly red, so i picked it up to layer over my Nyx Snow White to get that perfect Mulan princess pout. but it takes on a pink tinge when applied. anyway, it's just for the shiny glossy effect, so i bought it anyway. i didn't plan on using it after our crazy day but can you believe it, it lasted almost 3-4 hours on my first try. it's too good to be true. i just love these cheap makeup/wonderful effects discoveries.

i'm also thinking about buying more E.L.F. products. they're quite affordable, and the shades look wearable. probably next shopping spree. cases in point: some rad reviews for E.L.F. Blush in Candid Coral (posted on temptalia as a NARS Orgasm dupe) and Tcikled Pink. we'll see.

hope you had a good august,


ps. i'll post pictures later. i haven't really gotten around to unloading my corby's memory card. whew!

my favorite relaxation songs

jack johnson and jason mraz are two of my musical heroes. when i think of r&r, i always imagine the background music to be either of these two amazing, amazing, amazing, did i say amazing, songs.


this is not the album version though, but jason mraz still rocks. woohoo!



if somebody would sing these songs to me, i'd probably die. i'm just listening on youtube because B is busy playing games on my iPod. shucks, how romantic can you get.

chill night with B, it sucks coz he has to work tomorrow.

have fun listening to these and stay red yow!