Impulse Buy (Noun) : When you go to the store to get cotton pads and check out with half of the inventory. 


I did a little damage this month because I have little self-control I saw a lot of cool new things. I also got some backups of things I've tried and liked before.


Gel moisturizers are perfect for oily/combination skin and absolutely god-send in our current weather.

I received this moisturizer from the Pond's exclusive March box (see unboxing here) and if you follow my instagram you've seen me profess my (surprising) love for this tub of goodness.


A lot of people who've tried this are particularly fixed on the scent which is I guess, supposed to smell like a rose. I get a hint of rose but not too much. It's more perfume-y than anything else, BUT its fragrance is comparatively lighter than the rest of the line which are borderline fabric softener/Sunsilk shampoo in my opinion —which is probably what made me break out.




The packaging is a weighty glass tub with plastic cap sprayed over with metallic pink. Not ideal for travelling but looks very very luxurious especially on the vanity. To tell you the truth I'm not a #pondsgirl. I've tried their face washes, powders, toners and face creams before but they just broke me out BAD. And I was a fragile teenager back then adjusting to puberty. (woe is me)

After taking a chance again when I received the March box, I still broke out on all of the skincare included except this one. I'm really attributing my breakout recently to Pond's heavily fragranced products. I mean, I don't want my skincare to smell medicinal or funky but I don't want to feel like I'm putting on fabric softener you know?


I guess the first two ingredients which is Water and Glycerin really made it more acceptable by my skin. Regarding the texture if you've tried the Celeteque water-based moisturizer it's a little similar it's just that this one feels more "creamy" in a way, probably because of the third ingredient Dimethicone.

So it's like when you mix the water-based moisturizer with a silicone primer. That is the best I could describe it. On the skin it feels smooth and light and it's absorbed quickly leaving my skin refreshed, plumper and softer.

I would highly recommend this product to anyone who has tried Pond's and been scorned before. For Php399 you get 50g which isn't bad at all considering the packaging (and the fact that it never broke me out!!!).

You really don't need a lot, just smaller-than-a-pea sized amount would definitely suffice but if you're like me and are a little heavy-handed with skincare, a dollop feels absolutely glorious on the skin. Follow it up with a face mist and you're golden.


Have you tried this before? Or have you tried any gel moisturizers before? What are your thoughts on them?


xx,
CJ
I'm a self-professed film addict. I hunt down old releases, new releases as well as wait for future films to come into fruition. There was a lot last 2014 that I haven't watched and honestly I haven't even gotten to diligently scouring through the years prior.

This 2015 I've seen a lot of trailers that I can't wait to watch including a couple I didn't get to see last 2014.

Children's Book Adaptation
1. Pan
2. Cinderella

Science Fiction/Dystopian/Technology
3. Ex Machina

4. Hunger Games : Mockingjay

5. Zero Theorem

Slice of Life  / Based on true events
6. The Theory of Everything

7. Whiplash

Action
8. Exodus : Gods and Kings

9. John Wick

10. Kingsman

11. Jurassic World

Teen / Comedy
12. The Duff



PS. I've watched The Duff, Mockingjay Part 1 and John Wick so far. 
I've been on a skincare kick lately on my blog so I wanted to follow it with some (mostly) skincare empties.

These are products that have been in my empties bin in a while. Most of them have even been in here for more than five months. I actually have a couple of stuff that I finished but I deemed them not worthy enough for a post. Because all of these (except one) I actually really like.


1.) ZA Cleansing Foaming Gel

I really really really love this cleansing gel. It's a cleanser/makeup remover that removes even waterproof mascara. I kid you not. Even my hard-to-remove bases —you know the ones that just emulsify on your face but are still there —are removed easily.





To make sure it removes all of my makeup, what I do is wet my face a little take a small (but I usually overdo it, what else is new) pea-sized amount, massage it on my whole face for more than a minute, let it sit a minute more then rinse. It leaves my skin clean and not-taut like some heavy-duty cleansers tend to do.


2.)  ZA Hydration Fresh Lucent Toner

I bought this along with my gel cleanser in one of my hoard-everything hauls when ZA had that 50% off sale (see post here). And I do not regret getting this at all. I kinda feel bad for not getting more.


It's not one of those revolutionary toners, I mean it even has alcohol (which I tend to avoid in toners) but I love it because:

  • It doesn't break me out
  • It feels refreshing and gets rid of other traces of makeup/dirt my cleanser missed
  • It has Hyaluronic Acid which is the magic word if you want to increase hydration and improve skin elasticity plus it works on all skin types — oily, dry, normal and combination.

I'm currently using a non-alcohol toner but I might get back to this if I get the time to get my ass out of the house.


3.) Baviphat Green Tea Mist

Mists are my absolute indulgence. These types of mists aren't really good for anything other than refreshing the face so they aren't particularly used for setting makeup but I use it anyway for that apart from its intended use.



This one doesn't have the fine mist that I like but the smell and the way it feels on the skin is really nice. It wasn't that pricey either. I think I bought this for around Php 200 - 250.


4.) Etude Eye & Lip Remover

Funny name but good product. It removes eye makeup well. For waterproof mascara I tend to go back a second time but sometimes it's not that big of a deal. I much prefer the Maybelline eye and lip makeup remover though but this is an ok alternative and cheap too - less than Php300. (sorry I don't have a close-up shot of it!)


5.) Fashion21 and Darkness Auto Eyebrow Pens

For eyebrow makeup, I'm not that picky. Well, actually I am. But I'm not brand conscious. If it works. It works. And these two are fantastic. Fashion21 is harder in texture, the type I gravitate towards. The color is a cool-brown with no traces of red in it and the packaging is simple, sleek and sturdy.



Darkness is another Korean brand and much softer in texture compared to Fashion21. It has more leeway if you want a softer brow look since you can easily brush out the color because of its texture. The color is also a cool-toned brown and perfect for dark brunettes. The shape of the "lead" is flat and angled which made it easy for me to draw on my brows. But if I had to choose, I'd go for the Fashion21 because good hard eyebrow pencils are hard to come by, most of the time they're creamy and/or too waxy for my taste.


6.) Instant Argan Oil

Aka the super expensive pure Argan oil that wasn't really pure. I bought this for Php 1000 and during that time Argan oil was just being introduced to the Philippine market, so everybody was clamoring to get one. I didn't have proper information about it at the time and bought the bottle on a whim.



It works okay I guess, as a face moisturizer but I like it better for the hair and body. The thing I'm pissed about here is I thought I was getting PURE Argan oil not some heavily perfumed watered-down version of it. The consistency was thick like maple syrup and smelt like talc. It reminded me of those vanilla body sprays from Victoria's Secret.

Argan oil, I learned,  is supposed to smell woody or "medicinal" in a way not powdery and sweet. I blame the SA who said it was pure. It was my fault though for not reading the bottle. It didn't have PURE written anywhere on it.

That concludes my empties post. Have you tried any of these? And what're your thoughts about Sales Assistants "bending" the truth just to get a sale?


xx,
CJ



I have sparse lashes. They're not short per se but they're spaced about here and there as if to spite me. I think it's pretty common among asian girls having sparse and sometimes short lashes. The eyes being the windows to the soul, would mean that the eyelashes are...curtains...? Where was I going with this?

Let's get on to the actual reason I'm writing this post.


It's supposedly a lash strengthener and nourish-er. I had high hopes because I saw a couple of comments on a Facebook group that this really REALLY worked for them. And I thought 

"Hey, what's Php200 or so bucks? I'll give it a whirl".

Giving in to the advertising claim, I took a chance and promptly paid for my purchase 9+ months ago and I think that's enough time for an ample difference to be seen right?




Ignoring the fact that my lash serum isn't clear-yellow anymore, let me be the one to burst your bubble, this did not work for me at all. 

I haven't noticed any ample changes in my lashes nor do they feel a little "strengthened", if anything 2-3 lashes came off whilst I was using this and that's 2-3 more than what I bargained for.

I decided to put this on my brows just for luck.


Because hey, whatever, I had little to no expectations to begin with. Maybe, just maybe, they'll work on my brows. (Inner plea to the gods : Please oh please oh please let this not be a complete waste of time)


And yet it was. I probably should've prepared a sacrificial lamb to go along with my plea.

This might work out for you though. It's not a lot of money anyway. This is just my experience. I will definitely finish this tube out of sheer cheapness (pero sa totoo sayang naman talaga diba?). I might clean-out the tube and fill it with oils instead or use the wand for my brows.

Have you tried lash growing serums?

xx,
CJ


Etude House PH website : http://www.etudehouse.ph/
Price : Around Php200
Bought at : SM Makati
It's May and holy crap almost half the year is gone and what the heck am I still doing?!? Wanted to be a little more personal with you guys share some tidbits on what's on my mind lately.
Image from tavern.com.au


WATCHING : THE FIGHT OF THE CENTURY(?)
If you're like me, you've watched the five-years-in-the-making battle between Mayweather and Pacquiao. And if you're like me, you couldn't wait for the fight to go down and expected a pretty good show regardless of who won. And again, if you're like me you asked "Was that it?" at the end of the "historic bout".

I'm not saying the win was undeserved or that Pacquaio was cheated. I'm saying the fight that was touted as the greatest (or one of the) ever was extremely underwhelming. Like extremely. I pity the poor souls who got pay-per-view.


LISTENING TO
I have a handful of current songs I've been playing on repeat but "Spotless Mind" by Jhene Aiko has been on repeat for a few weeks now. And how cute is Jhene Aiko?


"Shame on me for changing...No no. Shame on you for staying the same"


EATING
Chocolates. My so-called cutting back on sugar has not been on full effect. I mean is my will power really this LOW?

WATCHING
This girl make the rest of the Disney Princesses into (gif) mermaids.

Cinderella

Jasmine
Pocahontas


The Disney-shaped hole in my heart has been filled. View the rest of her works here.


READING
A bunch of articles ranging from career to gender equality/inequality to LGBT rights. In case you don't get it yet, those are the things I'm most passionate about.


What have you been up to lately?

xx,
CJ
The week of trial finally came to a close. No, this isn't some tragic story. I'm talking about the BDJ 7-day challenge wherein a subbie uses one/a couple of products for seven days straight. And I'm here to recap the entire experience.

This was my second box and suffice to say I thoroughly enjoyed this one most since I made use of almost everything compared to the Pond's exclusive one (But I did give away the mascara, Mustela and a couple of scrubs). Most of the products I used were for body care and I had been very diligent during that week in terms of scrubbing and polishing my skin.



Day 1 MyChoice Bubble Salt Scrub (Php 100/225g)
The smell reminds me of melon candy and I really really really really really like you it. It's dry salt scrub inside the squeeze tube which I found weird at first but I understood why it didn't use the typical tub packaging — water won't go in as easily compared to the tub-style one.









Day 2 Asian Secrets Lulur Face Scrub (Php 120/100g)
It's a slightly liquid-y consistency compared to the St. Ives "sensitive-skin" scrub but it's as gentle . I can easily use this for everyday and I have throughout the rest of the week.




Day 3 Revlon Highlighting palette (Php 625/7g)
Like I mentioned in my instagram post, this highlighter reminded me of the Bobbie Brown shimmer bricks. It was even touted as an affordable dupe to it.

At first I wasn't into the whole subtle highlight shtick this does but after a while I grew to appreciate it. If used in photo shoots I don't think it will be as obvious but it works perfect for everyday.

Day 4 - Day 7 Scrub galore

After using the Asian Secrets Lulur facial scrub everyday twice a day, it still wasn't abrasive enough to make my skin feel raw or dry it out. The creamy base made it perfectly light against the skin while still micro-exfoliating with its beads.

The MyChoice bubble salt scrub was written as something that can be used for everyday and I think that's a bit too much. The salt does hurt after a few days of continued use (at least for my skin) and I suggest to limit this or any salt body scrub to once every three days. It does smell really good and when hit with water suds up a little, which is where the "Bubble" aspect of it comes from (I guess?). This does leave the skin uber soft and supple plus MyChoice products are all-natural which is absolutely amazing apart from the fact that they're really affordable.

This concludes my  #bdj7day experience. Have you done this 7 day challenge before? Have you tried the #BDJbox yet? What do you think about subscription boxes? Let me know in the comments below!


xx,
CJ



Website : http://bjdbox.com
Instagram : @bdjbox