You're rushing. You don't want to stress anymore than you need to. You need a quick gift idea STAT. Here's a list. No time to waste!

2016 is coming to a close and out come the gift guides from the interwebs. Of course this site's no different! For our first gift guide we'll be focusing on local indie beauty brands. More specifically the organic + natural kinds.

why you should have a domain for your blog

Blogging 101 before you even start a blog, the tips say to buy a domain name. My friend has been nagging me to buy for the longest time. I just didn't see the reason why I had to when my 'blogger domain' was working perfectly fine. Little did I know there are many benefits to having a custom domain name...mainly:


Before December finally comes and bites us in the ass, I wanted to catch up on some backlogs (and I have plenty to go around). 🙏

I have finally decided to review one of the items I got from my last Althea box and it's this huge 30ML Elizavecca "White Bomb Gold-CF Nest" Eye Cream.

Read on for more!

I know some guys who aren't Monday people. The feeling of dread usually starts on a Sunday and gradually increases as the day goes by. I also know that Tuesday is just as bad as Monday (at least it is for me sometimes). While technically not being the start of the week, it's just as far from Friday as is Monday.

What usually makes people happy? (Apart from long weekends, paid holidays and bonuses)




Would you trust your servers, the kitchen and the restaurant itself when your sense of sight is completely inhibited?

It's November! A few more days until you-know-what and Ugh. THE YEAR HAS FUCKING FLOWN RIGHT BEFORE MY FACE AND I CANNOT. I bet you guys already have your Christmas decorations on and are in full Christmas spirit once Halloween came to an end. We start prepping pretty early here in the Philippines don't we? What's up with that though? :))

No really, can someone tell me?

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It's no secret that LA brand ColourPop took the beauty world by storm through their high-performing and cheap-as-fvck makeup. Most noted for their lippies, they have become a standard as to what good makeup is for the price. Fast forward to today their makeup line is continuously growing and improving taking cues from trends and best-sellers and what beauty-lovers really want.

Would you rather drive/commute, spend hours on the road because of the bad traffic (especially lately right?!), then proceed to finally buy the things you want/need only to face the bad traffic again just to go home?

OR

Shop online?

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Cue the "Oh I thought it was Benefit!"s and "You mean Hoola right?"s. This cute little boxed powder obviously blatantly mirroring the more high-end brand is not to be snubbed just because they're copying (a tonne of brands do this, high-end or drugstore...mostly drugstore).

This is a very nice little warm sun-kissed look in a box, a 10th (or 16th) of the price of the high-end version. Read on for more.

why is exfoliating important and how often should you do it?
I'm guilty of skipping a few days to a week without scrubbing my body (when it comes to my face I'm more diligent though). I know very well sloughing off dead skin is important to help blood circulate and to help renew skin but how important is it really? Read on to find out!
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It's no secret that I love online shopping especially for makeup. And more especially for hard-to-find and/or exorbitantly priced makeup in the Philippines (seriously though, those import taxes :/).

Thank the makeup gods for online shops right?


sugaring-what-is-benefits
Sugaring is essentially sugar waxing (or using sugar for epilation/ hair removal) and has been around for a long long time, think 1900 BC. It's also known as Sukkar or Halawa in the Middle East as Agda in Turkey and Moum in Iran.


I've been liking the cooler weather. Not so much that it's always damp. My clothes. The curtains. The atmosphere, but the cooler nights afford me a more peaceful sleep.

Here are just some of the things that have happened these past few weeks.




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Contouring is definitely here to stay. With all the contouring products coming into the PH market you can be sure that Maybelline has it on lock with the trends. Which is why they came out with their contour products so us Pinoys can also try out contouring without breaking the bank.

But for beginners, it can be a little confusing? Daunting? I mean just look at all those Instagram makeup videos (that I can honestly watch for hours on end).


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Althea's first birthday has ended and with it the promos, freebies and special birthday sales. I hope you snagged a few items and took advantage of the rebates, 1+1, contests and freebies last month! Althea always has great discounts and other promos going on anyway so no big deal if you didn't.

If you're curious as to what I got (c/o Althea Korea) during, read on to find out :)

I find it freaking hilarious (but not in a HAHA way) when people say "Don't think about what they say" "Be unique" "Be you"...

BUT don't use/buy/dress/talk/walk/blink/enunciate/pronounce/show emotion outside of the prescribed stereotypical gender/sex you were born with.

Lol.

There are a lot of problems this creates for a lot of genders. But I'll let's just look at a few.



This foundation is really pricey mostly because of the real 24K 3mg gold leaf on top of the cream as well as another 1ppm of gold within the cream itself. Originally priced at ( Althea ) Php 3,380 it's currently on sale for Php 850. (74% off from the original price)

I've shaved my legs before. I've also done the duct-tape-on-legs thing when I was younger (don't ask me why. I don't know). And the feeling of leg waxing, for me as a noob, is more akin to the duct tape scenario. Not exact, but very close.

Please give a warm welcome to Glenn Domingo who will be giving us a list of restaurants to try! So if you ever find yourself hungry in Pampanga read on! - CJ


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Fast-rising KBeauty site Althea Korea turns 1 today! To make this birthday more memorable and fun *ahem* free makeup *ahem* Althea has some amazing contests and freebies and more! Read on to find out what you need to do.

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Prevention is better than the cure. I think I've said that already once here. In terms of skincare I do try to keep it clean and healthy by using products that cater to my specific skin type and skin needs. As much as I can, I make sure that un-needed chemicals aren't present (or in small quantities) and it incorporates as much plant-based ingredients as possible if not all-together organic/vegan.

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As part of any makeup wearer's routine, makeup removal is priority in cleansing. Before your head hits that pillow your skin should be clean. There are different ways of taking off makeup but you're no lazy girl. You don't need "A Lazy Girl's Guide to Cleansing". If you're like me, you take makeup cleansing seriously.



So my penchant for Kbeauty has always come hand-in-hand with Korean cuisine. I'm always on the lookout for food and restaurants that I haven't tried. I wanted to try one of the many Korean restaurants/cafes in Ortigas and I decided on Sopoong Food House. I wanted something cold that day (we went there during the heat wave here in the PH around March or April) so cold desserts were the goal.

affordable-non-sticky-glosses-cheap-drugstore-1Goopy, sheer, thick and extremely sticky. This was really popular in the early to mid-2000s. And I didn't really care for them. The smelt nicer than the typical lipsticks at the time. Came in cuter packaging and cool (Lizzie MacGuire a.k.a. life peg) people wore them. But I just couldn't get over the constant hair sticking to the lip scenario. Not to mention it looked like I ate something really oily because most lip glosses available to me were reaaaaaally sheer. So I stayed away from them.

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It's really a Do-It-Yourself kind of DIY, not the Hey-I-need-your-help-sis/mom/bro/pet-to-put-this-mixture-that-smells-a-little-like-piss-on-me-DIY.

A lot of people have coloured hair here in the Philippines. And why not, it's a sure-fire way to revamp your look. I mean I've changed my hair's colour countless times whether at home or at the salon. Really good salons can get expensive, especially if you want something more than the typical shades of dark brown and sometimes salons can get it wrong too. Plus you're a busy superwoman juggling 10 things at once who has time to go to a salon anyway?

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I put a cute little bird because it's cute, like this line. And because...why not?

The search for a nice affordable base is never done. I've had this for quite a while. The tube still has some product inside but I gave up on making it work on my skin. It just doesn't look right. Read on for what I think.



BelAir Cosmetics, the company that made the brand 4U2 (and this BB Cream), is a US company but made in Thailand. Understandably it's quite popular in Thailand as well as Malaysia and the Philippines.


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Packaging  |  Price

I quite like the simple tube packaging. The whole "Love Pink" line is very affordable. The packaging is pretty evident that it's catered to the much younger (teen/pre-teen) crowd. I don't really care that much about the teeny-bopper-ness of the packaging as long as the product performed to my standards.

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Texture  |  Scent  |  Application 

It's creamy, smooth and mouse-y (not runny). On the skin it feels very lightweight. It kinda has this medicated scent to it. I prefer this type of scent than the generic makeup or foundation smell.

Application is easy. Using a dense brush it gives a medium coverage from the get-go. Opting for a sponge (or a damp one) yields a lighter coverage. You can build up the coverage, but I feel like it won't be legitimately "full coverage". It's close though. It sets pretty quickly on me, so I can easily touch my face right afterwards and not feel any stickiness. It also doesn't dry out my skin. It can make dry patches look a little obvious though.

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As for the colour-match. Oy vey. The dreaded BB cream dilemma especially for Asian brands. This BB cream only comes in one shade. And it's a very peachy-pink-neutral leaning to cool one at that. So it looks off on me and you know from 10 feet away that my face doesn't match my neck. I look pink and ashy. Yes it's possible.

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Experience

Looking at the swatch you'd think that there's a decent amount of warmth or yellow in it. I believe it oxidizes to a more cooler tone or maybe that's just on me. Either way there's only one shade and it won't be a one-size-fits-all thing, it rarely is. If you're a fair, light or NC/NW 20-25 in shade you might match with this.

For wear/longevity, it lasted well (around 5-8 hours) on my normal-dry sensitive skin with oily t-zone. It has a tendency to cling to dry patches as I've said because of the texture. It did significantly fade at the end of the day but in a graceful way. It didn't crack, coagulate (whut) or separate on me. It just lost pigment and I think it's a really nice aspect of this.

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I also have a problem with how it's marketed as BB cream. "Real" legitimate BB creams, at the very least Korean ones, always have SPF in them plus other nice ingredients for the skin. Always. Otherwise it's called foundation. So I was pretty bummed that this didn't contain any sun protection at all. I feel like I wasted my money with this. It's not a lot of money but for something that I didn't like and was never going to use again (not a bb cream people) it's still money.

There are a lot of good things about this BB cream, make no mistake. The only caveat (for me) ultimately is the usual cry for better shade selection. I mean I didn't even bother with a face swatch. Just imagine a ruddy-ashy face. Apart from the terrible shade selection, it has performed well. Ultimately though I wouldn't get this again nor would I recommend it.


xx,
CJ

PS. Wore the foundation for about 6 - 8 times. I tried to make it work by mixing it with other foundations but the gray and ruddiness still shows through.
PPS. I know there are foundations with SPF and/or firming/moisturizing/anti-aging claims. It's just that when you say BB cream (or CC cream) it's supposed to be a "supercharged", "next-level" tinted moisturizer. This 4U2 one, for me, is just foundation. Suffice to say my faith was eradicated with this BB. Eh?Eh?Eh?*nudge**nudge* *hint**hint*... :'( Ok...

http://www.4u2cosmetics.com/
https://www.facebook.com/4U2-Cosmetics-Philippines

I always get a nice surprise whenever I hear about a locally-available brand that's cruelty-free AND vegan. There's a couple now in the market, mostly indie online-centric brands that you can only shop at through Instagram or Facebook.
Weens Cosmetics Philippines is the 1st and only brand, manufacturing 5 Free Non-toxic formula, Cruelty Free and Vegan nail polish locally. Made from imported raw materials and FDA approved. - Weens Cosmetics Philippines


I'm not crazy about nail polishes to be honest. I have a few in my vanity and I rarely use them. I'm more into nail strengtheners and nail oils. Part of the reason why is because a lot of readily accessible polish brands have toxic chemicals in them that damage my already brittle nails. This where this brands' 5Free promise comes in.


What do you mean by "5 Free"?, you might ask. It means that these polishes are made without formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, and toluene along with the allergens camphor and formaldehyde resin—all potentially dangerous ingredients that could do everything from disrupt your endocrine system to cause cancer. (via)


Being already familiar with toxin-free vegan polish brands thanks to Picture Polish, I'm happy to share with you guys that you don't have to buy abroad to get some because...Weens. :)) (Seriously though isn't the name so interesting to say?)


Posted are some of Weens polishes from their latest collection— QT Nail Magic. (Php 66) I'm partial to the Emerald green one (Voyage). But which one do you like best? Do you use vegan/cruelty-free polishes?

xx,
CJ

Images via Weens.

Facebook : www.facebook.com/WeensCosmeticsPhilippines
Instagram : @weens_nailpolish

underarm_eyebrow_sugar_waxing_whipped_sugar_wax_and_scrubbing_salon_bgc_1
If this adorable salon's name and motif isn't enough to remind you of cotton candy, lollipops and rainbows you will when I tell you they use sugar for all of their services. Melted (pulled? taffy-like?) sugar for waxing and scrubbing. Yes like the sugar you eat. Interested? Read on.

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A little disclaimer, I don't pluck my underarms. I've been using razors or removal creams but it's been a years since I've plucked them. So my tolerance for pain in this regard is pretty damn low. What more waxing.

Guuurl there was blood and pain, not going to lie. But the my attendant or sugar technician was very kind and accommodating. She decided to switch to plucking when the bleeding wasn't stopping. I was glad to switch to tweezers let me tell you, I barely felt it #numb.

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One thing to note though, you're supposed to have your underarms waxed when there's about an inch of hair not less, to make it easier to pull out and to make it more comfortable for you. Blame me for going there with a 5 day overgrowth, my sugar attendant did mention it was harder to pull out because of the short hair.

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For those who haven't tried underarm waxing at Whipped, it goes like this:
  • Polite sugar techs asking for your reservation.
  • They'll show you to an enclosed room and ask you to lie down.
  • Maybe ask a few questions here or there about your hair removal.
  • A wipe-down to clean and to remove deodorant residue.
  • The waxing itself using the soft pliable cold sugar wax.
  • Plucking smaller and/or thinner hair that didn't get caught by the wax.
  • Then another wipe-down.
  • Smooth armpits :)

They didn't get ALL my underarm hair, but seeing as the ones left were very thin and small like peach-fuzz—too thin to be plucked, I guess it's understandable.

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As for the eyebrow waxing that was leagues more tolerable, very similar to my experience with brow threading here.

Quiet atmosphere (I believe I was the only client at the time), comfortable and charming decor. If you're thinking of where to get waxing done maybe you should check them out. They're popular with guys as well (which I like) so guys please don't let the decor deter you! (they're just colours, c'mon)

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Branches 

3rd Floor, Ayala Fairview Terraces
2nd Floor, Commerce Avenue Wing, Alabang Town Center
2nd Floor, Eight Forbes Town Center


xx,
CJ

PS. After a week (around 6 days) I noticed the hairs growing back are thinner than what they used to be. Usually the strands are thicker. Heeeey. :)

https://www.facebook.com/WhippedSalon/

features_&_shades_fs_cosmetics_review_1
Well one-brand for the most part. I did stray here and there (eyebrows and the powder). I'm also putting a dedicated review on some other products mentioned and not mentioned here (powder, lipstick).

I finally get to tackle the brand-spanking re-brand FS did with some old favorites and new additions. If you've seen my previous post about the newly re-launched FS Cosmetics or Features & Shades here you might be wondering what's really worth checking out and what can you pass up on. Here's my "one-brand" face of the day /makeup of the day with their products with quips on what I think of them.

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Let's start with primer.

Aptly named "Primer" this pre-foundation base comes in a squeeze-tube (nice) and has 20g of product in it. That's a pretty decent amount since you really don't need a lot of this all over the face. This one especially tends to ball-up with the foundation if you use way too much.

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Texture and appearance-wise it's very similar to Benefit's Porefessional. It's a silicone primer and it performs (I assume) as most silicone primers do. This does blur the pores and smoothes the skin leaving it velvety.

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I personally don't subscribe to the notion that silicone primers or face primers in general makes makeup last long. I haven't seen a difference. I've tried the Maybelline and the Quick FX primers and they're all the same to me. One thing I can say is that this primer is heavily fragranced. The scent is very floral and "perfume-y".

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For my actual base, I chose to go with FS's BB cream in Oriental. There are 3 shades available, this being the middle one. It claims to be a sun protectant, foundation, concealer and moisturizer. Basically an all-in-one product (as most BB creams tend to claim) but the concealer part is pushing it a bit.

I do really like this. It's smooth, blends in well, looks natural, feels light on the skin, moisturizing, has at most a (well...almost when you build it up) medium coverage and has an olive undertone to it (perfect) BUT...
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It appears slightly ashy on me. I blame it on the spf for the slightly walking-dead appearance initially but it does adjust to your skin a little in about 10 - 15 minutes especially when set with a powder of your shade. It also has this light citrusy-floral fragrance that I don't mind unlike the primer.

I find it a little annoying that they didn't put exactly how much sun protection you get with this, so I suggest using a separate SPF. I also wouldn't suggest this to people with oily skin as this is quite moisturizing, glowy and tacky and stays that way if you don't set it. People with dry patches (me) would do well to exfoliate prior because this BB clings a little. Other than that, it's a nice everyday type of base for people who are okay with light coverage foundations (BBs/CCs).

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This pretty "I'm ready for summer" blush in Twinkle Tan is gorgeous on the skin. It's like a bronzey blush with fine gold shimmer. It's smooth and very pigmented. If I had to recommend one thing out of everything here I'd suggest this one. The finish is this very gleamy highlighted-satin sheen — You won't need a separate highlighter with this for sure.

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I haven't tried this for over 12 hours but for a typical 8-hour day it lasts well. Especially since it's less than P500, as with every product in this post.

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This amazing True Light Liquid Lipstick in Glossy Peony is very pretty. Half of it because of the nice matte packaging and the light inside when you open it.

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I would consider this more of a lipgloss than a "liquid lipstick". I think my perception of liquid lipsticks have been escalated because of the numerous liquid lipsticks that have been coming out for the past 2 - 3 years or so. It's not sticky like a typical gloss and it's decently pigmented as well. I would go as far as to say it's slightly moisturizing. Lip prep is important though because it settles in the cracks.

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The colour is a pretty milky medium-peachy-rose with golden shimmer. Don't be put off by the shimmer though, it's really really nice on the lips. Not chunky "glitters" at all. It feels comfortable on, no strong scent nor taste and THE LIGHT GUYS. THE LIGHT!!!

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For the eyeshadow I have their single eyeshadow in Ash Brown. It's a pigmented matte cool-toned dark brown. Rubbing my finger on the pan, it feels slightly gritty but for the most part it's smooth and blends well with a brush.

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There's also a wide selection of colours and finishes. You can pop these in a four pan palette that they sell so you can customize your own palette. Richly pigmented, versatile and affordable for a whopping 4g, this will last long.

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The black Mascarade Volumizing Mascara is okay. It builds up okay on itself. The pigment is really black and the brush is the normal bristled mascara brush I prefer but it only yields a natural lash look even after numerous coats. As you can see from the picture that's the extent of the the volumizing part it can do for my sparse lashes. For 10g, it's a decent pick for the price when you don't know which brand to go for.

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It's not smudge-proof and waterproof, though it doesn't claim to be. But it's water-resistant so there's that. Like I said. It's okay but not something I'd purchase on my own. I like mascaras that give a lot of volume.

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Final result. A very no-makeup makeup look. After running errands and being out for more than 5 hours, the bb cream and blush performed really well. I guess the primer also did its job? The mascara and shadow were still there too. But the shadow faded a little bit maybe an eye primer would do the trick next time. I was most surprised about the blush though, I only put a little but it still held on at the end of the day.

I also didn't break out. To be honest though I only used the primer twice but I had the sinking feeling it would break me out if I used it consecutively. I also couldn't stand the scent so that's the only thing I used twice.

Other products used : Palgantong/3WC Powder in #23 as setting powder and for eyebrows I used Pinkies Collection brow pencil in black, Glam21 pencil and Maybelline brow mascara in Dark Brown.

[Reference : Sensitive, dry-normal skin, slightly oily t-zone and dry patches. Sweaty boy.]


Like I mentioned, everything here is less than Php 500. So the brand on the whole is pretty affordable. What would you try from this brand? Which FS product would you like an in-depth review on? My personal picks are the gloss, shadow and blush.

xx,
CJ

http://www.fscosmetics.com/
https://www.facebook.com/FS-Cosmetics
https://twitter.com/FSCosmetics
https://www.instagram.com/fscosmetics/