All the Vanity Blog :: Beauty, Fashion & Shopping

My previous entry’s lost in the wilderness. I don’t even remember deleting it ever. But, anyway, I doesn’t matter since I bailed out doing the challenge on the first week due to very important issues concerning my day job.

Yes, I already mentioned about how taxing my job is several times already. Little did you know that since last month, I’ve been drudging toiling on this certain project which entails working more than 8 hours a day. So toxic, that I was able (sort of required) to work twice on double shifts! I even had offsets during the weekend.

I was about to start doing the challenge last July 5, but since the arduous project’s deadline has been extended, I had to go overtime which is kind of counterintuitive to the challenge.  I usually do midshifts (from 4pm-1am), albeit I have recently adjusted my shift starting from 1pm to 10pm in order to go home and sleep earlier than usual. However, since I still extended my hours finishing as many tasks as I can to beat the deadline rush, I ended up going home late and sleeping in the wee hours of the morning. Sadly, my spiking stress levels coupled with lack of sleep took a huge toll on my health and skin. I got sick and  breakouts to boot.

Right now, I’m amid recuperating from cough and cold. And, I’m glad to tell you that I’m finally back on track! I technically started the challenge last Tuesday (July 13), so it’s my 3rd day (going 4th) today.

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Challenge: Day 1-3

So far, so good. As said earlier, I was worried about trying the product at first due to its greasy consistency. It generally has a watery-oily consistency. Well, in fact, it has a “water-free” formulation. The oily part is what I fear the most, lest it may cause an adverse reaction to my face breaking it out even further.

Kiehl’s developed this anhydrous concentration of Squalane, night-blooming Evening Primrose and essential oils including therapeutic Lavender. The formulation also contains Coriander and Rose Hip Seed Oils, which when combined, provides a complete blend of Omegas (Omega 3, 6 and 9). Omega 3 and 6 Essential Fatty Acids have a restructuring benefit which reinforces the cutaneous barrier, therefore keeping the epidermis hydrated. It’s formulated to be used at night when skin is most receptive to recovery and repair.- Kiehl’s

Using it is pretty simple, I simply have to apply 2-3 drops of Midnight Recovery Concentrate, and spread evenly on my face. The bottle already includes a dropper (which I find cute btw), so I don’t have any problems getting a trickle or two sans messing up. It says that you have to apply by gently patting it onto your skin using  fingertips, and not by [vigorously] rubbing it. In my case, it’s very important to spread it evenly, until the product is fully absorbed by the skin. Not doing so usually leaves me a greasy feeling which I really abhor!

Cutesy dropper with black plastic squeeze top  included

Tested it on my hand. Notice the subtle sheen on my hand. It actually looks greasier if not spread evenly.

It’s been three days since I restarted, and I haven’t noticed any remarkable nor horrific difference yet. Good news is, it doesn’t cause me breakouts so far, maybe because I use it along with anti-acne products. As for the moisturizing (and repairing) part, I guess it helps keeping my face from getting too dry brought by anti-acne medications. It also calms down dry patches on my face from further flaking.

Let’s see how it goes as I’m consciously making an effort to sleep early, and at least 7 hours a day. Yes, I now sleep on or before 12 midnight. It’s such a bit of an ordeal  for someone who has erratic sleep patterns like moi, but here’s to hoping for the best!

Also, you can check other Bloggers who are now approaching the finish line of the 15-day challenge:

Nikki of Askmewhats

Shen of Shen’s Addiction

Frances of Beauty for a Living

So, here’s something that I was going to reveal last Friday but had to wait until today. Kiehl’s just invited me for a pretty challenging 15 days of sleeping well and early. Sounds pretty tough and intimidating, isn’t it?

See, I’ve been very busy especially this past month doing a big project, which involves tedious work that usually lasts up to 16 grueling hours a day! Getting a restful sleep wasn’t really much of an option then, as I’ve been simply a stickler in meeting very stringent deadlines.

That’s why this month, it’s just timely that Kiehl’s has given me such healthy opportunity to correct my erratic sleep patterns and regulate my sleeping hours. This is in addition to trying out on a new product, Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, an elixir that works well during the night where the metabolic rate for nutrition and restoration of the skin is at its peak, giving me a fresh and rejuvenated skin the day after. Moreover, it’s 99.8% paraben-free and naturally-derived which make things much more interesting.

Going back to the challenge, it entails 7 Habits of Healthy Sleepers:

1. Get at least seven hours of sleep each night.
2. Drink soothing beverages before bed such as herbal tea, water or milk!
3. Try to avoid exercise near bedtime.
4. Stay away from late afternoon, early evening stimulates like caffeine.
5. Enjoy relaxing activities before you go to sleep, like reading or taking a bath.
6. Shut the TV off when you are in ready to fall asleep.
7. Curb your alcohol consumption.

These healthy tips seem very easy to do; yet, I must admit that they’re sort of hard to maintain, even if it’s just only for 15 days. I’m still amid adjusting my sleeping hours, and the challenge officially starts tomorrow! *fingers-crossed*

Well, wish me luck readers. I will do my best to keep you updated, and I’m excited as well to see my everyday (or every other day) progress. Let’s see what happens after I finish this challenge.

Apologies readers! I’ve been into a pretty “rough” ride lately, but here I am struggling to make a post or two amid this uber busy month.

I believe it’s about time to give this stint another shot and revivify the heydays of having regular blog updates! I have a bevy of things to share, and quite a bunch of products to review.

First, there’s Philippine Fashion Week I attended for a couple of days to take a sneak peek into the local world of fashion.

Of course, this blog won’t be lacking with the latest beauty and fashion finds as well as product reviews from the mainstream to the underground brands. I always strive to review them as honest, in-depth and constructive as I can.

Plus, I got a little ” secret” to share. But, that’s gonna be for tomorrow! I recently accepted a challenge, which will definitely impact my life even if it’s just for 15 days. And as a special gift to you readers, you just might have a chance to take part on this special challenge with me!

I hope you spare some time to tune in, and find out what this challenge is all about!

I’ve been very busy for the past couple of months, but now (hopefully) I’ll be back this May with a vengeance!

I have a lot of stuff on my plate to review and feature–from beauty to fashion–which will be published come this month.

Just hang in there ladies! xx

Pardon me readers for not posting often as of late. Well, a working girl’s gotta do what she’s gotta do in full-time mode.

Yet, I’ll be back for more posting really soon for this month of March.

To start up, let me share with you an upcoming super sale to start your Summer right (for Philippine readers only)!

Enjoy lovely discounts up to 70% on brands such as Skechers, Ecko Unlimited, Zoo York and many more!

Simply drop by at Tektite Tower in Ortigas come next week–from March 1 to 4, 2010. Please click on the poster for more details.

Hello dear readers!

All The Vanity & organic skin care brand Made From Earth has just something in store for you.

Made from Earth is a certified USDA organic beauty brand that includes natural, chemical and preservative-free skin care products to promote a healthy and holistic living. Their products range from face care, body care, hair & body care and lip care. Each is specifically formulated to meet your healthy skin care needs. Now, do you don’t have to fret about your skin care products having such strong, undesirable ingredients that may actually have carcinogenic or estrogenic effects which lead to various dreadful diseases like Cancer. You will never find any of these chemical ingredients in their products:

- Petrochemicals and Phthalates
- Parabens (Methyl, Propyl, Butyl)
- Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate Diazolidinyl Urea
- Cosmetic Fragrance

Click here for more info about Harmful Ingredients in Skincare Products

We offer a large selection of healthy and chemical free skin care products, including Organic Aloe Vera, Chemical Free Jojoba, Organic Lavender, Organic Honey Lotion, and Organic Green Tea Toxin Cleanser. We also offer chemical free organic face creams, which are full of potent and top-quality organic ingredients such as organic rosehips.- Made from Earth

Everyone can have a taste of such healthy & guilt-free pampering coz they ship their products globally. Now this some vanity I want to have!

One of the products to look forward to is the Three Berry Daily Organic Face Cream, which packed with organic blueberry, organic raspberry and organic cranberry. For healthy anti-wrinkle and face firming treatments, there’s Vitamin Enhanced Face Firming Serum that uses organic compound DMAE to naturally and instantly firm your face in 15 minutes after application.

Start shopping now by simply visiting their website here.

Not that I’m going on hiatus, it’s just I’ve been terribly busy for the past few weeks doing my day job, which is why I can hardly make an update. Right now, I’m feeling under the weather. And, it seems that the weather looks so ill & gloomy at the moment.

Anyhoos, nothing beats a fab prescription (or, should I say, subscription) of these two magazines I recently grabbed for the month of October. Of course, there’s Vogue and late actor Heath Ledger’s former flame Michelle Williams is on the cover. I wasn’t really planning to grab Cosmo Ph, but the baby blue color scheme drew me into getting it. Bea Alonzo is on the cover. Didn’t really super like Bea’s overall ensemble, albeit the top was kinda cute. It’s just weird having tank top and denim short shorts on the cover at this very season. On the other hand, I suggest you to leaf the travel section pages. They’re definitely worth the heed!

That’s it for now. Will bounce back soon and try to bring you some highlights on the latest Spring 2010 collection. LV, Galliano and McQueen has brought us some quirky vibes.  I still have yet to check other faboosh collections I might have missed out. Also, I still have a lot of beauty products lined up for an in-depth review.

Hope y’all feeling well! Ta-ta xx

Image from Bellasugar.com
I was deeply contemplating earlier what to post on this blog. Then, after a few reads from here and there, I stumbled upon Cosmetics Database website, which lists majority of the beauty products sold today in the market and their corresponding hazard weight based on a 10-point grade scale (0 being the least hazard and 10 being the most).

To my surprise deep astonishment, some of the products I used got a flat out 7-10 on the hazard weight scale. What’s more shocking and disturbing is that products that claim “all-natural” or “organic” got at least 3 and up on the scale.

For sure, you’re largely dependent on how the product suits your skin needs. But, knowing what lies on the  ingredients included in it might make you think twice–consider Formaldehyde (and its derivatives) as a case example.

The Real Deal with Ingredients

Discovery’s Planet Green listed some cosmetic ingredients and their adverse effects in human health. As mentioned earlier, Formaldehyde (Formalin in layman’s terms) is a preservative and disinfectant used in embalming process or product preservation for better, longer shelf-life. (Over)exposure could lead to disastrous effects such as Cancer.

In 2007, the European Union bans the use of it for embalming. The Netherlands, in  particular, bans the use of it for textile products. California bans Formaldehyde-based toilet chemicals.

Paraben is a preservative commonly found in almost any beauty products available. It has some common derivatives such as methylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, isoparaben, and more. It seems like an innocuous ingredient, yet is highly suspected to also promote the risk of getting Cancer. It can mimic estrogen hormones, which other studies claim that it plays a role in the development of breast cancer and urogenital abnormalities. Of course, it doesn’t mean you’re in big trouble having estrogen hormones. It’s naturally found in females. But, overdosing yourself (inadvertently or not) with such hormone is another story.

Others may have allergens that could trigger reactions in your body–from light to fatal.

What to do then?

Before immersing yourself into mass hysteria and mindlessly throwing your beauty arsenal directly into the bin, consider these options:

• Investigate. It won’t hurt doing more research on the suspected hazardous product you’re currently up to. Look at product reviews and testimonials. I suggest MakeupAlley.com for less biased reviews.  Also, there could be medical articles available online and offline, discussing the product or the active ingredient present. Doing an extensive study can basically “sort things out” and help you decide whether it’s worth the ditch or not.

• Ask Your Doctor. Seek professional help. Your doctor, or dermatologist for that matter, will help your way to the path of product enlightenment. Ask how the ingredients will affect you. His/her recommendation surely helps.

• Ask Yourself. Nothing beats asking yourself if the product’s worth the keep. Is it really necessary? Won’t you be complete without it? For a beauty junkie like me, there are so many products stashed inside my drawer that I don’t religiously use. In the end, I just have to throw them away, or give it to someone else who’s willing to try it out.  Of course, if I found it hazardous, I might as well throw it away than risk someone getting a serious disease. To sum it all up, if you’re willing to let go of it, then do so.

Curious about your favorite products safety factor? Visit http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ to know product’s hazard scale.

I’ve been a great fan of Mario Badescu way back in college with its buffering lotion. I remember the pink drying lotion being featured in now-defunct Seventeen Mag here in the Philippines, so I never hesitated to try it asap. And then, I made a perfect switch to buffering lotion as soon as I found it really, really effective in nixing those nasty cystic pimples away!

Now, Mario Badescu has something new to offer that could actually be a great addition to anyone’s skin care regimen.

Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum is something to look forward to, as it contains 7.5% Ascorbic Acid (Medical term for Vit C) that effectively reduces discoloration, thus brightening the skin. It’s also packed with hyaluronic acid to moisturize the skin, and collagen to improve skin’s firmness and elasticity. Just a few drops of this potent solution every other night, and voila, expect skin to be noticeably radiant after religious use.

I haven’t tried it myself yet, and would be very much happy to grab a bottle and luxuriate my skin with it soon! Price is a bit hefty though, as it costs $45 for a small bottle.

Remember the mission I blogged about? Well, here’s a preview on what happened:

First of all, the mission was to be Stunning for a Steal. To make sense, we need to look gorgeous without spending a goldmine! Recession is putting a dent to our pockets and budgets these days, so we need to cut some slack off from (over)buying expensive beauty products without compromising quality. This is where these three fab products come to the picture.

*Nail Technician hand-painting my nails*

Whilst waiting for the queue to have my facial first, I decided to bypass the steps and immediately headed to the Nail Spa station, where I had my nail art done. I’ve been a great patron of Nail Spa in Shangri-la Mall since I landed my first job. This is actually my first time to pimp my manos for some nail art fun. I chose something bluish amidst my pink and red ensemble I was wearing then, since I’m a typical blouse and jeans girl–blue denim jeans to be exact.

I was surprised to see that they actually hand-painted the nails one-by-one, sans using any stencil. Wow, that’s creativity + talent going on there. The nail art tools she used actually pique my curiosity. She told me those came from US. Hmmm…

*Here’s what my nails look like after. What’s great about it is that it’s still hasn’t chipped off amidst long hours of typing.*

Then, I had a luxe facial using Garnier Light products, which promises to bring a visibly fairer and more radiant skin I can measure. It uses natural products such as pure lemon essence and long dan essence that help remove dullness and effectively diminish dark spots whilst whitening the skin. I indulged myself lying around 20 minutes of uber-relaxing facial–the massage was so relaxing that I felt like dozing off! My once tensed skin felt de-stressed thereafter. What I love more was the smell of Garnier products, they smell really, really good that I want to eat it!

*Lots of Garnier skin care products used for the facial*

After some skin pampering, I headed straight to Matrix booth to have my hair done. The hairstylist asked me how do I usually wear my hair on a typical day. I told her, I just let it alone, silky straight. With a eureka moment from her, she resolved into giving my locks some lovely curls. Okay, another Marimar moment has yet to come!

I totally love the smell of the hairspray, unlike others that smell like solvent. Surprisingly, it strongly held my locks all day long, even when I tied my hair into a bun going home.

*MUA doing makeup using Maybelline products*

Finally, here comes the makeup! I had my makeup done courtesy of Maybelline. The MUA gave me a natural look, using mostly Maybelline clear smooth mineral makeup! First, using MAC 187 brush, he gently dabbed on liquid foundation as base (which doubles as a concealer). Then, he buffed on some  powder-foundation to neutralize the color, making my base match my skin tone better. He accentuated my eyes using neutral colored eye shadows, eye liner pencil and mascara. Of course, he put some blush-on and lipstick for flushed-looking finish. (more…)