I was aiming for a simple look  that’d blend well with the afternoon’s affair. I used blues and whites for my eyeshadow (which clearly matches my blue and white NIVEA-themed ensemble), a dash of nude pink shimmer for my cheeks, and a nectar colour for my pucker.

For the Face:

Tony Moly Baby Doll BB Makeup Base

Majolica Majorca Skin Remaker Pore Cover in O10 (review here)

Cinema Secrets and MAC Concealers

Monave Mineral Setting Powder in Angel (available at Beauty & Minerals)

For the Cheeks:

MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Afterdusk

For the Lips:

Smith’s Minted Rose Lip Balm

Tony Moly Berry Berry Magic Lip Tint in 01

Human Heart Nature Love Minerals Passion Fruit Lipstick in Sweet Nectar

It’s been quite a while since I had my eyebrows fixed. I’ve been meaning to save my bushy eyebrows until sometime soon!

As for my peepers, it was just an easy-peasy gradient blend. I used a blue-black colour on the outer corner, and a shimmery white colour on the inner corner. I blended the two contrasting colours together on the middle. It felt like oil painting 101 all over again!

For the Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin

Maybelline Magnum Volum’ Express Waterproof Mascara

Majolica Majorca Majolook Trick On Eyeshadow Quad in GR750

Monave Multi-Purpose Powder in Turquoise (for blending)

Majolica Majorca Aurora Tearliner in PK (for highlight)

Pardon for not posting for the past three days. I resolved to rest this time around by spending my long weekend in deep slumber (well, most of the time). It has been quite a lethargic week for me, mainly due to PMS I assume. Nevertheless, here’s to welcoming a new week bursting with energy.

It is evident how I’ve been very fascinated with Majolica Majorca. For starters, the brand had me at its whimsical packaging, which is indisputably beautiful! Of course, there is no mistake that their pore remaker (powder foundation) and lash expander (mascara) really do the job well!

Majolica Majorca Counter at SM Makati

Along with Marbbie whom I met a few years back during one of L’Oreal’s events, we passed by the Majolica Majorca counter in SM Makati to witness vis-à-vis the magical prowess of Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus Mascara.

Marbbie removing her eye makeup

Before road-testing the product, the SA handed the Majolica Majorca Eye Reset Gel to Marbbie to remove her eye makeup. It successfully nixed traces of mascara she donned earlier, although she told me it stung her eyes a bit.

Majolica Majorca Eye Reset Gel

Then, the SA led her into a dresser-like counter, patted Majolica Majorca Skin Remaker Pore Cover on her face, and curled her lashes using Shiseido Eyelash Curler.

SA applying Skin Remaker

Curling Marbbie’s lashes using Shiseido Eyelash Curler

After which, she applied the Majolica Majorca Lash Bone Black Fiber In that served as a mascara base to hold her curled-up lashes.

The Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Mascara was applied thereafter. Using the flat part of the brush, the SA generously applied the product on her lashes.

The SA lifted up and spread the product further using the crescent part of the brush.

…onto the other side

Et voila, Marbbie with her now-gorgeous doll-like lashes!

Left: with Lash Bone Black Fiber In only. Right: with Lash Bone Black Fiber In and Lash Expander Frame Plus

Prices:

Eye Reset Gel – Php 695

Skin Remaker Pore Cover – Php 895

Lash Bone Black Black Fiber In Mascara Primer – Php 795

Lash Expander Frame Plus Mascara – Php 795

Majolica Majorca is exclusively available at leading SM Department Stores and Watsons outlets nationwide.

I don’t know how much does a Shiseido Eyelash Curler cost, but you can check it out at Shiseido Counters in Watsons or Rustan’s.

The first time I’ve heard about Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub was from my friend I. Honestly, I feel really ashamed to be oblivious on what’s going on in the market today.

So when beauty blogger Liz invited me to attend the brand’s mini press event, I didn’t hesitate to push through. Unfortunately, I arrived really late, much to my dismay for not waking up early.

Anyhoos, I’m still lucky to try the product. Asian Secrets is a whitening body scrub inspired by a luxurious Javanese ritual, hence the name “lulur”.

Lulur is the most luxurious ritual usually reserved for 17th century Indonesian royalty. It was so popular it became part of countless bridal preparations, in order to beautify, smoothen and whiten the bride-to-be’s skin before her wedding day.

It contains Green Tea Extract, Vitamin E, Squalene and Olive Oil that help protect the skin, keeping it healthy, moisturised and even-toned. It has Polyethylene beads that exfoliates the skin, sloughing off dead skin cells. Sodium Lactate also helps in exfoliating and whitening the skin.

It claims to reduce skin pigmentation when used frequently whilst keeping the skin moisturised. It evens out skin tone, particularly that of dark patches on the elbows, knees, armpits and the area between the thighs. Moreover, it’s dermatologist-tested and hypoallergenic.

To use: apply on dry skin before shower. Gently scrub against dark spots. Rinse and see the difference.

I got 135 g, 250 g and 20 g samples. The latter is not for sale.

135 g jar

250 jar

20g small jar samples. Another beauty blogger, Kira, told me that her Asian Secrets bore these babies. So cute! They’re not for sale though.

I was also given a set of lavender tea lights that I can use whilst applying Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub for a complete spa experience in the comforts of my own home.

I’ve been using it for a few days, and here’s what I think.

Creamy Consistency, Gentle Scrubbing Effect

It has this white creamy consistency with microbeads that gently scrubs against the skin. I love the fact that the beads are quite small and non-abrasive. It’s also easily rinsed, so I wouldn’t have to spend minutes trying to rinse the product off. I can use it when I’m in a hurry! Update: I would’ve loved it more though if the beads melt into my skin (like most sugar scrubs).

So far, I can hardly claim that it has already whitened my dark areas. But, I’ll give it a month or so in order for me to see the difference. What matters most to me is that it makes my skin feel instantly soft and velvety smooth after use!

Relaxing Floral Scent

Ohh, this is the one that makes me hooked! It has this relaxing floral scent that smells sooo good. I’m a sucker for scents (lol it’s already a given), and sniffing using it makes me feel de-stressed.

Price is at Php 80 for a 135 g jar, and Php 135 for a 250 g jar. Available at leading Watson’s stores.

I remember writing a post before with respect to the shocking truth about cosmetics. Here’s another post shared by my friends at Liposuction Cost for your consumption. Consider this as an addition to your technical beauty know-how.

© BVDC – Fotolia.com

Many women want to be outstanding in many different ways. Some opt for chin liposuction, facial lipo or any other procedure that will improve the contour of their face. But for many, the good old make up will simply do the trick instantly and painlessly.

Chin liposuction and facial lipo may eliminate unwanted fats and give your face an outstanding shape. But makeup is cheaper and safer, or is it? Here are some of toxins found in most common cosmetics.

Mercury
Mercury’s ability to be breathed in makes it very toxic to the body. Its use in cosmetics is banned in the United States, but it can still be found in illegally imported skin-whitening creams from Asia.

Lead Acetate
Lead acetate is soluble in both water and glycerine, and was once a popular cosmetics ingredient. It is still found in progressive hair colouring procedures.

Petroleum
Petroleum distillates have been extensively in a number of beauty products and cosmetics as solvents. Excessive exposure leads to headaches, dizziness, nausea, and allergic reactions.

Toluene
Toluene is a petroleum distillate used as a solvent. It is commonly used in making nail polish. Prolonged exposure can cause headaches, dizziness and even miscarriage.

Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is another petroleum distillate found in body washes, hair-smoothing aids and nail polish. Exposure can cause headaches, irritated eyes and mucous membranes. It is thought to be carcinogenic as well.

Ethyl Acrylate
Ethyl acrylate is highly reactive, making it very irritating to the eyes, nose, mouth and throat. Because it is an effective plasticiser, it is used in nail polishes.

Coal tar
Coal tar is the basis of many dyes and was used in the past to colour cosmetics. The high association between coal tar and cancer resulted in its being banned, but it continues to be used in hair colouring.

Dibutyl phthalate
Dibutyl phthalate is a dye solvent and plasticiser in nail polish, and is also a component of many fragrances. It is toxic to the reproductive system and the human fetus.

Potassium dichromate
Potassium dichromate is a chrome salt sometimes used to create green hues in makeup. It is also found in a number of aerosolised preparations. Allergic reactions to chrome and its compounds are quite common.

2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol
2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol is often called bromonol. Found to have good antibacterial properties, it is used as a preservative in cosmetics and beauty products. A member of the nitrosamine family, it has carcinogenic properties.

There are a lot of trends in the cosmetic scene today; it won’t hurt if you get yourself up to date. If you have doubts, you can always check information available online, consult your doctor or ask the makeup experts.

Think I’ve heard sometime before about Burberry having its own cosmetics line alongside luxe brands like Chanel, Givenchy, Yves-Saint Laurent and Dior to name a few, I’ve recently stumbled upon the Iconic Runway Look from the Burberry Beauty Collection.

Burberry Beauty Iconic Runway Look features gentle khaki shades (plus a nude pink lippie) to compliment all skin and eye colours for that effortless, neutral finish. I’m one of the few fans of the “makeup no-makeup” look.

I’m so mesmerised by the lovely packaging! I’d love to get one of these gorgeous babies.

Lip Mist in Feather Pink

Sheer Foundation in Trench

Sheer Powder in Porcelain

Effortless Mascara in Midnight Black

Sheer Eyeshadow in Khaki

Sheer Eyeshadow in Trench

Iconic Runway Look Makeup Tutorial

Burberry Beauty Artistic Consultant Wendy Rowe shows us the right way to wear the khaki colour on British model Cara Delevingne.

All Images from Burberry. Thanks I for the tip!

http://www.burberry.com/

These days, the scorching summer heat surely reminds (or rather, demands) us to apply copious amounts of sunscreen.

But, according to Dr. Stephan Ruppert, Director of Nivea Sun UV Protection Research, “Only very few people apply the amount recommended by the EU – around 36 grams or 6 teaspoons for an adult.”

I, myself, am guilty as charged. I am not the type of person who would apply sunscreen religiously (except for the face of course), nor the type of person who would measure the amount of sunscreen she applies.

Needless to say, it’s not just during summer that we should apply sunscreen. It should be applied every time we get exposed to the sun, protecting our skin against harmful sunrays. I know that most of us are already aware of the damaging effects of UV rays brought to our skin—from sunburn to skin cancer. Although sunburn would be an “it” thing this season, skin cancer (such as melanoma) is never “cool”.

Going back, merely applying sun block won’t do you good if you’re not doing it the right way. Nivea has developed these easy-to-follow guidelines on how much you should apply your sunscreen in order to reap its full benefits of maximum sun protection.

Nivea’s rule of thumb for adults & children

Dr. Beate Uhlmann, the brains behind these guidelines, explains us how to apply the correct amount of sunscreen:

You can’t go wrong if you use the length of your own hand to gauge the right amount. Apply twice this amount to each leg (don’t forget your feet), to your chest and stomach area, and to your back. This allows you to reap the full benefits of the sun protection factor, and you can feel safe and protected in the sun. A hand’s length of sunscreen is equivalent to about 15 sprays of Nivea Sun spray.

The length of an adult’s hand is also the basis for gauging the appropriate amount of sunscreen for children. This amount is adjusted according to their age and height and then applied to the individual body zones as described above.

Children 3 to 5 years old:

A thick line of sunscreen measuring around 1 to 1 ½ times the length of an adult middle finger, or 5 to 6 sprays of Nivea Sun spray.

Children 6 to 10 years old:

A thick line of sunscreen measuring around 1 ½ to 2 times the length of an adult middle finger, or 7 to 10 sprays of Nivea Sun spray.

For children up to 5 years of age, twice the normal amount should be applied to the face and neck, since small children have proportionally bigger heads. Additionally, wearing protective clothing (cap, T-shirt and shorts) protect your children from the sun. Children under 2 should not be exposed to direct sunlight at all, as their skin does not yet have sufficient pigmentation.

And don’t forget: if you or your children have been in the water, have dried yourselves off, or are spending an extended period in the sun, make sure you reapply sunscreen regularly.

One to try: Nivea Sun Invisible Protection Spray SPF 30. It acts as a fine, water-resistant, transparent film on the surface of the skin whilst ensuring immediate UV protection. It has a cooling and moisturizing effect in addition. Visit nivea.ph for more info.

Summer is the time of the year when people get body-conscious. This gave me an idea to share my “weight loss” story.

Outside Bikram Yoga Eastwood

Not too long ago, I was one of those girls struggling to trim down the fat—literally. I used to weigh at most 125 lbs then, which actually falls on the normal range of my BMI (I’m about 5’4” btw). But, I was used to be slim and slender at around 110 lbs, and having a medium-large frame wouldn’t really work well with some of my extra small clothes. It was bittersweet to let them go when I gained weight.

I got really conscious especially when people started to notice that I was getting fat. I guess it’s normal for women to hanker for their own ideal version of beauty, hence being aesthetically pleasing by having a pretty face and the curves to die for.

I tried cutting down my meals into smaller proportions, but to no avail.

I was afraid to take those slimming pills, lest they might rather get me seriously sick. I tried those Chinese diet pills before, when I was young and naive, but nothing happened I believe ‘coz I was still slim then (I know, BDD much). The safest that I could try was drinking green tea or acai berry. I couldn’t say if they worked or not, since it also dawned on me to start working out whilst taking them at the same time.

Exercise—damn, this is one of the most intimidating words in the fitness dictionary. But alas, I succumbed for the sake of losing those extra inches and bulges. I started buying clothes of my present size. Of course, I hoarded for workout clothes. I was thinking about running, but Bikram yoga caught my attention. For that, I lost around 5 pounds after a couple of months of taking yoga classes.

It was so darn hard, but worth it. The heat inside the room alone made me sweat buckets. How much more when the class starts? Most of the poses were quite challenging. It was difficult to be steady for about 30-40 seconds for a single pose. But, doing so religiously made them much easier to pull off. I really liked my teachers, especially Joy who owns the place. She was very diligent enough to teach yogis again and again on how to properly do this and that.

Teacher/yogi Joy doing the toe stand pose

After that, I went on for a breather (hopefully not a permanent one!), just coz it was really hard and tiring. The summer heat of 2010 was a killer in addition. Ironically, every time I finish a class, there’s this extra zing that’s added into my system which keeps me energized for the rest of the day. Perhaps, that’s how exercise works. Aside from that, Bikram yoga has helped me increase my liquid intake. Basically, I’m now more of a water person than the food one.

I still wanted to lose more. Fate brought me into a certain predicament (that is, wisdom tooth extraction) that made me lose weight further. During the healing period, it was so hard to eat, so I was forced to eat lesser than the usual. To boot, I was getting sick every now and then, mainly because of stress. Because of my illness, my weight plummeted down by almost 10 lbs!

I’m back at around 111-112 lbs. Most of my medium-sized pants are quite loose already that I hafta wear a belt whenever I don them. Of course, I won’t recommend getting sick for the sake of losing weight. I was rather alarmed when those series of unfortunate events happened. Then, I remembered one thing: I’d never got sick when I was exercising regularly.

Come summer 2011, I declared swimming as my new fitness obsession. I’ve never wanted to be thin. I simply just want to look healthy and lean. Swimming helps me get an extra dose of energy to survive the day’s work. It also helps me maintain my weight, since I’ve been devouring like a warthog recently. I love food, and I really love to cook. Cutting them down won’t work on me like magic. But of course, eating way a lot than I’m supposed to on a daily basis (read: binging) is flat-out crazy. I only pig out on a weekly basis.

Best of all, I’ve also noticed that I don’t get sick that easily and frequently, which is a very good thing! To sum up, there are really no shortcuts on losing weight. You have to work hard for it. Here’s the revelation: this has happened on the course of 2 years.

Cheers to eating right and exercising regularly. It doesn’t only have to last all summer long.

If you’re interested in Bikram Yoga and living in the north, I highly suggest Bikram Yoga Eastwood. For more info, you can visit the site here.

To my surprise deep astonishment, some of the products that I use 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 ingredients 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 using. 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 them out.  Of course, if I found it hazardous, I might as well throw it away than risk someone getting a serious disease in return. 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 a product’s hazard scale.

Lush Honey I Washed The Kids soap really has a catchy name, with its catchy beehive packaging.

Imagine pulling the comb straight out of the hive, slathering that divine honey all over, then being showered by a delicate spring rain. Honey I Washed The Kids handmade soap calms sore, sensitive epidermis with a rich aloe vera lather and leaves skin silky smooth and deliciously satiated. Slight hints of bergamot and orange lift your spirit and lull you into an intoxicating honey bliss.-Lush

This is one of Lush’s best-sellers, so I didn’t mind getting a bar or two. Though the scent, unfortunately, didn’t stay on my skin that long (scent was gone as soon as it’s washed off), the bar IMO has a dual purpose. The rough, darker part of the soap that looks like a hive works exactly as an exfoliator, sloughing off those dirt and dead skin cells from my body. It’s a nice, everyday body soap for me.

Great thing, there’s an available solid perfume version of this one, and it’s vegan! xx

Finally, a French makeup brand that understands Asian skin! Lancome recently develop its new powder-foundation that promises to suit Asian skintypes like mine–Lancome Maquicake UV Infinite Powder-Foundation. Its unique light-as-air and anti-sweat formulation help skin breathe amidst the tropical country’s  scorching heat and humidity. It promises to provide buildable coverage as fine as a veil silk for a just flawless finish.  And of course,  this powder is just also perfect to stash in this blazing heat of Summer!

Light as Air~!

This innovative formula containing soft-focus fillers (Synthetic Mica) to conceal irregularities and imperfections, and coated spherical fillers for a gentle perfect fit sensation-Lancome

Sweat-Proof Formula

Maquicake UV Infinité prevents your perspiration and sebum to “shine”, thus minimizing the need to for “touch-ups” throughout the day–a must for many Asian women when looking for the ideal compact foundation.-Lancome

Plus, it’s packed with SPF 20/PA++ to help your skin protect against sun’s harmful UV rays, as well as keeping your skin from dark spots and discolorations.

Price is at Php 1,795/ US$ 55

Looks like someone had it reviewed at Makeup Alley. Hmmm… now, it beckons me to try it out soon!

For Philippine residents, it’s currently available at the ff malls: Lancôme Paris, 1/f Greenbelt 5, Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La Tower, Rustan’s Alabang, Marionnaud Mall of Asia