Testing my Ellana minerals products

Ok, I posted my Ellana haul a few days ago and I decided to roadtest some of the products I bought. So today, I decided to test some of them out.

Let's start with the blushes.

Here are the swatches of the 3 blushes I bought:

from left to right: fulfillment, happiness, heaven

I know that Fulfillment looks very orange in the picture but it's actually peachier that how it looks like on the picture. Happiness is a soft pink shade while Heaven is a plum shade. Heaven and Happiness look very similar in the jars but they're actually quite different when swatched.

I wore Fulfillment today. It was a really tiring day so I didn't have any time to check my makeup until I got home from a long day's work. It was already 9 1/2 hours since I applied it. I checked the mirror immediately once I got home and saw that there was some color left on my cheeks, although the color wasn't as obvious as it was when I first applied it this morning. I reckon that it could have used a midday touch up.

Would I buy full sizes? Probably not. Although it's okay since it's inexpensive, there are better MMU blushes out there. The problem is I'm actually too lazy to sample blushes (since I'm not a blush addict). I'd rather see the blushes in person.

Next, we move on to the Sheer Velvet High Definition Powder. This powder actually has only 2 ingredients: silica and silicon microspheres. This is the reason why I bought it, since it contained a lot of silica. This is only available in one shade: White chocolate. Well, as the name suggests, it's color white. The powder is very fine. When I applied it to my face it didn't make my face turn scary white.

Using this powder, I didn't need to blot until 2 1/2 hours later. Yey (I know, my face is an oil mine)! Of course, this is already on top of the other usual oil control products I use. This is a good alternative for actual silica powder since this powder is mostly made up of silica, anyway. The difference for me is that amorphous silica (which I bought from sweetscents) is not fine, so my Blusche powder dispensing brush can't really dispense it properly. I really like the oil control of silica powder, and I don't want to take it with me everywhere in a jar because it's a little messy. With Sheer Velvet, since the powder is very fine, I'm confident that my brush can dispense this properly, so I can bring it everywhere with me for touch-ups.

Would I buy a full size? Yes! It's very affordable at P380 (around $7.60) for a jar larger than the usual 30 gm jar.

Lastly, I tried the lip scrub for the 2nd time today. I bought this (in strawberry flavor) even though I found it a little expensive. It was P150 (around $3) for a 3 gm jar. Tiny. When I tried it, though, I was so surprised how a ridiculously small amount of it is needed to exfoliate my lips. A little really goes a long way. I used a tiny amount, and then scrubbed my lips (dry) for around 3 minutes. After that, my lips felt softer and less flakier. It also has a sweet taste if you ever accidentally (or not) eat some of it.

Would I buy this again? Yes, but it will take a while before I finish this small jar.

My Mineral Lippies

I'm a mineral foundation and finishing powder addict, but lippies will always be my first love. I've been addicted to lippies ever since I can remember. I remember having lip balms as early as 5 years old, and then went to tinted lip balms in grade school. I started collecting lip glosses when I was in high school. Now that I'm into mineral makeup, all my lippies are now mineral, too.

Here's a pic of my mineral lippies:


I know it's not THAT much, but since mineral lippies DO have an expiration date unlike their powder counterparts, I think it's wise not to have too many or else they just might expire. So despite my addiction to lippies, I'm currently on a lippie no-buy until I finish a few of these tubes. Unfortunately, I broke this rule yesterday when I bought my a liquid lip color from Ellana. I hope I won't get tempted again and actually buy more lippies :p

My lippie stash from left:
3 Ellana lippies
10 Mini Lumi Lips (1 is not in the picture, though)
4 Bare Naturals lippies
3 EDM lippies (1 is also missing from the picture)
5 Silk Naturals lippies

Helping a newbie with MMU and my brush haul

I have a friend who has watched me put on MMU everyday and always commented on how fresh I look and how come I don't get pimples even when I use it everyday. So now, she finally decided to buy her own MMU. After a couple of weeks of planning, we finally to try the new primer from Bare Naturals and their flat top brush (since this is said to be very similar if not exactly the same as the EDM flat top). She was on a budget; she just wanted to spend a total of 2k. She is going to order the 2 products from BN and then today, we went to the Ellana showroom in West Ave.

I recommended Ellana to her because, first, it's readily available, second, they have a showroom so she can actually sample the products, and third, a little money can go a long way.

We really took our time there, trying so many different products. So after about an hour in there, she finally decided on full sizes of Toffee Mocha intensive coverage foundation, Espresso con Panna finishing powder, smile undereye concealer and a sample blush in harmony. She also couldn't resist getting the makeup remover which she really liked the smell of, and the baby buki, so that she could bring it with her. She actually wanted a retractable brush, because she saw mine. Unfortunately, it was out of stock. *Sad*

Of course, though, she can't use the foundation until she gets the FT from BN. She can't wait though. She wanted to get a little more products, but since she was on a budget, she decided not to.

Here is the pic of her haul:

She also got an extra foundation sample of toffee mocha. Her total wallet damage: around P1,500 (around $30.00). With the other items she ordered from BN, her total wallet damage will be around P2,200 (around $44). Not bad for someone who's on a budget.

Of course, since I was there, I couldn't resist buying some for me, too.

Here's what I got: sample sizes of heaven and happiness blush and a full size of fulfillment blush (I would have gotten a sample size but they were all out). I liked these colors but I only got sample sizes because I wanted to see how long they would last on my oily skin. I also got a sample size of their new high definition powder to see if it has good oil control. I know I'm on a lippie no-buy but I couldn't resist buying a liquid lip color in allure. I also would have bought it in lovely but they didn't have any new stock. LOL. Thank goodness for that, at least I saved P150 (around $3). I also got a lip scrub in strawberry. Hopefully it works out well for me.

The bulk of my purchase, though, was the buffer brush. This brush is big! I'll use this for days when I'm really in a hurry, since this can cover a lot of areas very quickly. The long handle also makes it easy to use. I'm getting this instead of the TBS kabuki brush because of some reports that it sheds. :(

Total wallet damage: P1500 (around $30)

Of course, my haul didn't stop there. After that, I went to the mall and got myself the following brushes:

from left to right: Elianto eyeliner brush, Elianto big blender brush, ELF eyeshadow brush and Bloom Blush Brush.

Because of all the raves and a lot of convincing in Girltalk, I finally bought myself the Bloom Blush Brush. Wow! This brush really IS soft! I can't wait to use this. I also realized that I need more eyeshadow brushes so after reading different blogs, I got myself the ELF eyeshadow brush which is getting a lot of raves, too. I also went to Elianto and thought about which brushes do I need so I ended up getting the eyeliner brush and the big blender brush since I don't have brushes like these yet. Despite the raves for the flat brush, I decided not to get it (at the moment) because it looked very similar to the ELF eyeshadow brush and the ELF is almost half the price.

So there. Yeah, I spent a LOT of money today. I'm done for this year's brush haul. I can now cross some items off my Christmas wishlist.

Plug: Cyleina Organic Soaps New Stocks Available

After a long wait, new stocks of Cyleina Organic Soaps are now available.

Here are the ff variants available:
Black Pearl
Rice Bran
Papaya Kojic
Strawberry
Tomato
Honey Oatmeal
Papaya Goat's Milk
Grapeseed
Gluta Max

Contact me at 09228148028 or 09053474599

Meet-ups can be arranged in UP Diliman, Philcoa or Robinson's Galleria

A Review of Different Nail Spas I've Tried

I'm not really good at applying nail polish. So a lot of times, I'd rather have my nails done in a nail spa. Like my fetish for trying out different sunblocks, I also like trying different nail spas, so here is a review of the different nail spas I've tried. I'm sorry I don't have any pictures. :(

My criteria for a good nail spa: Must have good ambience, nail polish, and service for a reasonable price.




1. Relaksasi


Branch: Robinson's Place Manila (Other branches are in SM North Edsa and SM Southmall)

Nail Polish: Bobbie. Add P10 for Essie (Essie's colors are quite limited, so it might be a problem for people who like bright colors. But since I'm a neutrals kind of girl and I love french tips, this is no problem for me).
Choices: Limited
Top Coat: Bobbie Quik Dry.
Nail dryer? None.


Ambience: I like the ambience of this place. The theme is Indian-inspired so there is a lot of heavy drapery. Each client has a private cubicle, each with its very own lazy boy (and a floor sink)! Yes, I'm a sucker for a lazy boy! Yes, It's so comfy so I really feel relaxed.


Service: Since Relaksasi is more of a massage and wax place, they don't offer any other nail services aside from the usual manicure and pedicure. I got the pedicure, which costed P100 (around $2.00) and then added P10 for the Essie nail polish. The attendant was gentle on my feet, and I was pleased with how my nails looked like. The only thing that went wrong is that before I came in, I was asked if I wanted cold or hot tea. I told them I wanted cold, but I never got that tea even after I finished my pedicure. No biggie though, since I'm not a tea person anyway.

Would I go back again? Yes! This is really value for money, but since Manila is very far from me, my next visit will be a very long time from now.




2. Luxe Nail Lounge


Branch: Robinson's Galleria, Ortigas, Pasig City (This is actually the only branch)


Nail Polish: A lot of Orly, OPI, China Glaze, Essie and some other brands that I'm not familiar with. A little Revlon, Sally Hansen and even a few premium polishes that will cost an extra P60-P100 (around $1.40-$2.00)
Choices: plenty
Base Coat: Essie base coat
Top Coat: Orly Won't Chip
Nail Dryer: None.
They have a variety of other nail treatments such as the Orly No-Bite which will cost an additional P10-P30.


Ambience: The place is spacious enough so I didn't feel cramped. The lights were dimmed but not to the point of being dark. There are a lot of couches with different styles. Some are good for one, some are good for two. The receptionist told me that they were aiming to create an atmosphere where the customers can choose what type of couch they would sit in. Note though that although the couches look really nice, they're actually not that soft.


Service: Before I go to the actual procedure, may I just add that they also have WiFi (I'm not sure if it's free though) and they also have a selection of imported magazines that are up-to-date. Anyway, moving on to the pedicure, I chose the Express pedicure, which can be misleading because it's not really express. At first, my feet were soaked for around 5 minutes. Then, my feet were shaped and cleaned. The attendant was very gentle on my feet. She really took her time. Then she massaged my feet for maybe 10-15 minutes. The massage was really relaxing. It did a good job in relieving my tension. Then lastly, she applied the polish. The express pedicure costed me P220 (around $4.40) plus P15 for french tips so I paid a total of P235 (around $4.60). The express pedicure is actually not the cheapest pedicure. The basic pedicure, which consists of just cleaning, shaping and nail polish application costs P180 (around $3.60) but I don't actually mind paying the extra P40 for the massage because it was really good.


Would I go back again? Yes! Plus, this is near my place.




3. The Nail Loft


Branch: Brgy. Sacred Heart, Quezon City (There is also a branch near Greenhills)
I went here because it was walking distance from Lay Bare, where I get my waxing done.


Nail Polish: Orly, OPI, Essie and China Glaze. Sally Hansen and Revlon are also available but will cost extra.
Choices: Fair
Base Coat and Top Coat: Both Orly but I've forgotten what kind.
Nail Dryer? None.


Ambience: The ambience was just okay. It's actually very small so I felt cramped up inside. Since I was there during the day, there weren't much lights so I found it too dim inside. Plus I sat in a long couch and there were two people beside me and there wasn't much elbow room, so yeah, it added up to the cramp-ness I felt.


Service: I got a little turned off because I just availed of the GM pedicure but the attendants kept on suggesting that I also get a foot spa, even when I already said no a couple of times. Anyway, on to the pedicure. It actually started with the attendant putting lotion on my arms and then giving me a little massage. However, during the actual pedicure, there was pain involved, but no wounds. The nail polish application was good though. After my pedicure, I was served complimentary hot tea. I paid P150 ($3.00) for the GM pedicure.


Would I go back again? Maybe, if I'm not in the mood to shell out money.




4. Princess Nails & Spa


Branch: AIC Grande Tower, Ortigas, Pasig City (This is the only branch and is only around one month old)

Nail Polish: Orly, Essie, OPI, China Glaze, a little of The Face Shop and some local polishes
Choices: more than fair
Base Coat: CND Base Coat
Top Coat: CND Hi-Gloss Top Coat
Nail Dryer? Yes.


Ambience: This place is really for the uber-girly girls because it has pink everywhere. The seats for the pedicures are even hot pink with polka-dot pillows. It's very bright though so it's not very relaxing. Since I had a manicure done, I just sat in a chair while the manicurist did my nails in a table. The attendants told me though, that they'll be replacing the hot pink seats with white. Note though that the manicurists are really quite chatty, so if you'd prefer that the attendants don't talk much, then this place is not for you.


Service: I availed of their nail art. Their nail art is just manually painted on, it's not the type with stamps and molds. Take note though that they only have around 6 nail art pens. Hopefully they'll add more. My only regret is that my nails weren't long so they couldn't do much with my nails. The manicure consisted of the usual cleaning, then application of lotion. After that, they painted my nails. The last step was to transfer to another spot to have my nails dried. I was happy with my nail art, especially since it was my first time. The nail art is very affordable. I only paid P250 ($5.00) all-in-all. They don't offer additional rhinestones or pearls for your nails, though.


Would I go back again? For nail art, yes, because this is very affordable; but if you're going for a regular foot spa, or mani/pedi, there are other places that offer better ambience for around the same price.




5. Get Polished


Branch: Brgy. Sacred Heart, Quezon City (The other branch is in BF Homes, Paranaque)
This just opened this month and is currently on a 15% off promo on all services. This is convenient since it's in the same building as Lay Bare, which I mentioned is where I get my wax done.


Nail Polish: Orly, Essie, OPI, China Glaze and The Color Club
Base Coat: Yello-Out
Top Coat: Orly clear coat
Nail Dryer? Yes.


Ambience: This place is very pastel-colored, which is nice I'm into since I like pastels. There are individual off-white couches for each customer. The lighting is just right. Yes, I felt relaxed.


Service: I wanted to get the Totally Polished Pedicure, but since they didn't have a paraffin machine yet, I availed the Get Polished Moisture Pedicure instead. It was long procedure. At first my feet were soaked in a foot bath, and then I was scrubbed with the scrub of my choice (There were around 6 scrubs to choose from; I chose eucalyptus) and then my feet were exfoliated manually. After that, they cleaned my feet. I can't really say that the cleaning was pain-free, but each time I twitched a little, the attendant stopped to adjust to me. Then, they place a shea butter treatment on my feet (which felt minty!), wrapped in plastic foil and then placed in heated booties for 15 minutes. After that, they applied CND Vanilla Shimmer Lotion on my feet. They also massaged my feet, but I can't remember if it came before or after the shea butter treatment. The massage was just okay. I can't really say that it relieved all tension. After applying the nail polish, they brought the nail dryer in a trolley so I didn't have to transfer seats. The trolley wasn't very comfortable though, since i couldn't put in my feet properly. I was satisfied with the pedicure. My feet felt softer after the treatment. The Get Polished Moisture Pedicure was actually P470 (around $9.40), but since there was a misprint in their main list (it read P450), the receptionist gave it to me at P450! Yey! And since there was an additional 15% off, I only paid P382.50 (around $7.60) for everything. Not bad, ehh? They also have a loyalty card wherein you get a few throw-ins for free after a certain number of visits.


Would I go back again? Yes. Although I can't really say that I fell in love with this place, it's still a good place to visit.


Other nail spas I want to visit: Nail Tropics, CANS and Dashing Diva.


What are your thoughts on this? I'd love to see them.

My Christmas Wishlist

It'll be Christmas in a few weeks so I've come up with my Christmas wishlist. Hopefully there will be a lot of good sales. Hmmm...

1. TBS kabuki brush
2. Bloom blush brush
3. a stippling brush (i still don't have one! wah! poor me...)
4. Leyende face canvas
5. samples from EG minerals
6. samples from AWG minerals
7. FS of URFP and Illuminating Perle Powders from AL
8. FS of glows from Dayna
9. FS of blushes from Cory
10. FS of finpows from Lumiere Cosmetics
11. FS of Luna foundation and finpows from DW
12. Belle de Jour 2009 Planner (I still don't have one. I'm so left out)
13. NSI vitamins and supplements (my stock will run out before the end of January)
14. Health Express Water-soluble Vitamin E (my stock won't last me a week!)
15. Venus and Mars products
16. more e/s brushes

This is quite a lot of things to buy? You think can get around it before the year ends? LOL. That's a lot of money.

What's YOUR wishlist? I'd love to hear (or see) your thoughts.

NAMCYA Winner's Concert

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in a long time. Last week was really hectic because I recently participated in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). What a big surprise it was for me to get First Prize and tie with a good friend of mine who is also a very talented flutist, John Raymond Sarreal. Last Sunday, November 16 was the NAMCYA Closing Ceremony where all the First Prize Winners performed. This was really a landmark in my life. I've been joining this competition since I was twelve years old (it's held approximately once every three years). I've entered Category A, Category B and now, Category C! I'm really grateful that I've come this far, and yet it also makes me realize that I'm already old! LOL.

with my fellow flutist, John Raymond Sarreal

with my pianist, Prof. Pia Balasico

I still can't believe it.

Well, let me squeeze in something beauty-related. I had to be in CCP by 11 am in the morning but the concert was going to start at 6 pm. Since there were blocking rehearsals during the afternoon, I knew that I wouldn't have enough time to totally redo my face for the concert. So I had to do my basic makeup in the house, and then just bring my eye makeup to turn my look from day to night. Since I needed foundation that would stay put, I brought out my deadliest weapon: Monave concealer foundation!

When it comes to staying power, Monave is really a winner. It really stays put the whole day! I'm one of the lucky ones who are hiyang with Monave. I don't experience any itching, I don't get any kind of bumps or zits even if I use it everyday.

Pardon the not-so-good eye makeup, despite being a performer I'm actually not used to putting on eyeshadows. I have to get used to that. LOL. Anyone out there who is willing to teach me?

Since I was already bringing a lot of stuff: my gown, shoes, instrument, etc. I really didn't want to lug a lot of makeup around so aside from my usual kikay kit I brought along my CS neutral palette which covered my eye makeup needs.

During events that I have to play, I use lip stains instead of lipsticks or glosses since I need something that is totally dry. There can be absolutely no stickiness whatsoever or else, things will get ugly! lol.

FACE:

Monistat Anti-Chafing Gel

Sweetscents Hide-a-pore in Medium

Monave concealer foundation in Saturnina

Sweetscents Amorphous Silica

Lauress Ultimatte Finish in Medium

EYES:

Coastal Scents Neutral Palette 2nd row, 2nd column as base

Coastal Scents Neutral Palette 3rd row, 2nd column and 4th row, 7th column on lids (as as brow powder)

Coastal Scents Neutral Palette 2nd row, 1st column as highlighter

Coastal Scents Neutral Palette 4th row, 8th column as eyeliner

Ellana Awake Undereye Concealer

Loreal Volume Shocking Waterproof Mascara

CHEEKS:

Skinfood Vitamin Shadow 05

LIPS:

Ellana Lip and Cheek tint in Amethyst

Rave: Myra E Hand and Body Lotion

I just grabbed this when I was in the grocery because I was looking for a lotion that was small enough to be carried around in my bag. Little did I know that this was a keeper.

This is such a steal for P33 (around $0.70) for 50 ml. Normally, non-greasy lotions are almost watery that, yes, you get the moisture but it's like you're putting on water with a little cream. You don't feel soft and silky. On the other end, most lotions give you a soft and silky feeling but you end up with sticky hands. This lotion is just right, you don't feel like you're putting water, you get soft and silky skin but is absolutely dry to the touch. I don't worry about not being able to hold things properly because of my lotion.

The only downside is that this lotion smells pretty strong when you first apply it, but it becomes mild after the lotion dries.

Would I buy this again? Definitely! This is a great find for such a small price.

FOTD!

Pardon the setting. I took this while I was in the bus. I had a sudden event so I put more makeup than what I usually put on. I was in a hurry though, so I wasn't able to put as much as I wanted.

FACE:
Monistat Anti-Chafing Gel
Sweetscents Hide-a-pore in Medium
Lauress Minimalist in Pure Yellow
Lauress Ultimatte Finish in Medium
MAC Blot in Medium Dark

EYES:
Coastal Scents Neutral Palette: 2nd row, 2nd column shadow as base
Coastal Scents Neutral Palette: 3rd row, 2nd column and 2nd row, 6th column shadows on lids
Coastal Scents Neutral Palette: 4th row, 6th column shadow as eyeliner and brow color

CHEEKS:
Skinfood Vitamin Shadow 05

LIPS:
Silk Naturals lip gloss in Breathless

CS Palette and My First Nail Art!

Look what I got today! The CS neutral palette! I got the 88 shimmer palette before and loved it, so I decided to get the neutral palette as well! Since I don't use eyeshadows all the time, I promise not to get anymore palettes (except maybe the 88 matte palette!). The CS palettes are my only non-mineral makeup aside from my MAC Blot. Even just looking at the palette, I realized that sis Aika was right. The shades here are different from the neutral shades found in the 88 shimmer palette. Can't wait to play with these!

I got my very first nail art today! I initially went to Get Polished in Diliman because the Lay Bare website announced that it today was the grand opening plus I saw a Now Open sign outside. I went inside and was so surprised when I found out that they weren't open yet! Grrr.... I then found myself in Princess Nails and Spa in AIC Grande Tower in Ortigas. I really wanted a pick-me-up so I tried nail art on my fingernails. I've never actually had a manicure before! Normally, I just get pedis.

I'm so fond of dainty designs! It's too bad that I have short fingernails so I can't really do that much with them.

I used Orly Taffy here. For P250 (around $5.00) this is reasonable. The base and top coat are CND (I've never actually heard of this brand before but it's US-made).

Please excuse the messy background.

I'm happy that I tried nail art. I'll definitely do this again. Maybe next time on my feet! Lol.

Dayna's Loot!

This is how my Dayna's package looked like when it arrived a few days ago! So neat! Dayna even wrote me a little note.

From left to right top: Golden Zephyr Glow, Finish line Glow/Vellum, Illumination Glow, Golden Summer Glow, G2 foundation, LG2 foundation
bottom: Whisper Pink Glow, Cloud Nine Glow, Bronzed Goddess Glow, Violet Vesper Glow, Peachy Sheen Glow

I tried swatching the glows but as I expected, it was too light to come up on camera. The glows are so pretty! I haven't tried them on my face yet, but on my hand they were all so nice that I can't say what my favorite is. The only glow that I didn't fancy was the Bronzed Goddess Glow, since I found it too dark for my skintone and I'm not fond of bronzers anyway. I actually got 8 glows from her (she has 9). The only one I didn't get was the darkest glow. My only lament is that each sample is just slightly more than 1/8 tsp (at least to me). She gave me a Finish Line Glow/Vellum as a freebie.

I only got one shade of the foundation which is G2, because most girltalkers recommended this shade for me, plus I couldn't decide which shade would be suitable for me based on the website's descriptions. But Dayna was kind enough to give me another shade of foundation which is LG2. G2 and LG2 are actually very similar and I can wear them both. I think that the difference between the 2 shades is that G2 is more yellowish? I can't be sure yet. I haven't decided which shade would be better for me. I already tried them on my face and so far I'm liking it. It's dewy with medium to heavy coverage. I still have to wear them for the whole day to see how it will hold up.

All-in-all, this was really worth the wait. These babies look very promising and I'm most likely to get some bigger jars very soon.

A Review of Sunblocks I've Tried

I looove sunblocks! It's a must for us girls. However, most sunblocks give that icky, greasy feeling and nobody wants that. Especially for me with my oily, acne-prone skin, the last thing I need is more grease on my face. I'm sort of on a sunblock spree. I've tried a lot of sunblocks and I've never bought one kind twice because I like testing different ones. And so, I made a review of the different sunblocks I've tried.

My criteria for a good sunblock:

• Must have a protection of at least SPF 40


• Must be oil-free


• Must have UVA protection as well


• Must be non-shiny and non-greasy
  

Nivea Face Sunblock SPF 50 PA++

Well, the one for sale in the Philippines doesn't look exactly like this, but it's pretty close. I used this picture because I don't have a pic of this sunblock anymore. I didn't like this sunblock. Yes it was oil-free and non-greasy, but even the tiniest application left a really obvious whitish cast. People would always ask me what happened to my face! I was using this sunblock back when I wasn't using any makeup. I'm not sure how my face would have looked like if I used makeup on top of it. Plus, I don't like the sunblock-y smell.

Cosmed Total Block Milk SPF 90 PA+++

I've never heard of this brand before. I just stumbled upon this in one of those beauty shops in Hong Kong. This product claims to have SPF 90 and a very high UVA protection of PA+++. Well, a claim of SPF 90 is very hard to prove but I decided to try it nontheless. This product is a milk type sunblock. You have to put a very little amount because if you put to much you'll have a slight whitish cast on your face. It's just slight though and it's nothing that my MMU can't fix. It's non-greasy but when you apply this, you have to be sure to blend, blend, blend or else the application becomes uneven. It's not a pretty sight to have some white spots on your face. After a few tries though, I finally got how to apply this properly.

Kanebo Tiffa Silky Look SPF 50+ PA+++

I spotted this sunblock both in Thailand and in Hong Kong. At first I was hesitant to buy this because all the instructions were in Japanese and the sales attendants in Thailand spoke very little English. In the end, I decided to put my faith on Kanebo and tried this out, and I'm so glad I did! I love this sunblock to bits! It's also a milk type, non-greasy, no shine, no whitish cast, no sting upon application and my face feels smooth when I apply it. It's texture once it dries up is similar to a makeup primer, so it's possible that this can substitute for a primer. Although I have a fetish for trying out different sunblocks and not repeating, I'm seriously thinking of buying this one again once my stock of sunblocks to review gets finished and when I see this again when I go abroad. This sunblock is available in 3 variants: Clear, Silky Look and Pearlish. I might also decide to try the Pearlish next time.

Garnier UV Protect SPF 50

This sunblock is very similar (if not exactly the same) as Loreal UV Block. Garnier is part of the Loreal group of companies, both sunblocks have Mexoryl as the active ingredient, and are both available in the same 3 variants: the white, purple and natural colors. Well, you do the math. I bought this one in Thailand. I got the white one, since I prefer ones that don't have a color so they won't turn out to be not my skin type or interfere with my makeup. This has no whitish cast, but it's a little shiny, but the shine can be covered by my makeup. Although a lot of people don't like Loreal UV Block, this one worked for me.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 55

I bought this sunblock back when it wasn't available in the Philippines yet. I bought it in Hong Kong for twice the price here! This sunblock is non-greasy, no whitish cast on me but it has a bit of a shine but nothing that loose powder can't fix. It's a big tube so it lasted me a really long time. The downside for me is that sometimes my face felt a little stingy upon application. I also broke out during my first month using this, but after that, my skin adjusted to it. This product says that it has UVA protection although the rating is unspecified.

Other Sunblocks I've tested:

Somang CoQ10 Whitening Sun Cream SPF 39 PA+++ - I tested this a few times when I was in Hong Kong, but this is actually a Korean brand. I liked it. It was non-greasy, had a pleasant smell, and the CoQ10 is definitely a plus. I decided not to buy this since I already had a lot of sunblocks waiting to be tried out and this might just expire before I get the chance to try it out. I might buy this though the next time I go to Hong Kong.

VMV Armada SPF 60 - This sunblock has a watery texture, no shine and non-greasy. I still have to buy a tube for myself, though, before I can write more.

Avene Very High Protection Cream SPF 50 - I tested this when I was in Thailand. It felt sticky so I decided not to get it. With its small size and high price, I felt that there are better ones out there for me.

Next in line to be reviewed:

I have a bottle of Dr. Baden's Sunblock Lotion SPF 60 waiting to be opened. I bought this in Hong Kong. It'll be a while though before I consume the sunblocks I'm using now. After that, I might just try Cetaphil SPF 50.

My Foundation Shades

I'm sorry I don't have a picture for this blog entry but I don't really know what picture is appropriate for this entry. I just want to share my foundation shades in the different mineral makeup companies that I've tried. I hope this would help my other Liga ng Saturnina sisters! We rule! lol.

Monave: Saturnina (duh!)

Buff'd: Moccasin

Joppa: Medium Light #3

Dreamworld: Themis or Amenti

Lauress: Pure Yellow

Ellana: Hazelnut Latte

Cory: Beyond Cream + Carmel Cream

Meow: Naughty Manx

Pure Anada: Mountain Sunset (I haven't tried their new shades though because I'm already happy with this one)

I hope I didn't miss anything. I have Dayna's foundation in G2 which I haven't tried yet but I have a feeling that this will be my shade. I also want to try EG, which I've been hearing so much raves about. Speaking of Dayna's, I just received my Dayna's loot. I'll be blogging about it within the next few days.

Today's Beauty Loot!

From left: Garnier Light eye contour whitening cream; Goddess fairy white spot corrector; Clean and Clear Oil Control Film w/ SPF 19

I got these three today! I'll be trying all three for the first time today. Well, I hope these work for me!

Review: Cyleina Black Pearl Soap

I've been selling Cyleina Organic Soaps for a year now. I do this mainly as a hobby and as a way for me to spend less on these soaps. There are many different variants but my favorite is really the Black Pearl soap!

I'm not really after whitening my skin. I'm pretty happy with my color, but since I'm always out in the sun (because of walking and all that), I find myself getting darker all the time. So I started using whitening soaps to maintain my color. Then, I found Cyleina Organic Soaps. I tried them and liked them.

These babies sell out fast! Right now it's out of stock, so I'm really holding on to my last small soap. This is the only whitening soap that doesn't cause flakiness in my skin. When I run out of soap, I use other facial washes or soaps around the house and after one or to days, I'll notice that there's already some flaking in my cheeks! Ang dyahe when I use mineral foundation. It makes the flakiness even more obvious. I end up returning to this soap over and over again. Even my oil-mine face needs moisture and I don't get it from other whitening soaps since a lot of them are drying. I also notice that my face is smoother because of this soap.

I got even more addicted when Ate Leigh (the owner) added mint to it's formulation! I'm addicted to mint and now, I really look forward to washing my face knowing that it'll leave a cool feeling in my skin. The downside of this soap, however, is that you have to make sure that you wash it well after every use or else the watermarks are really obvious. Another downside is that if your bathroom is a very moist place, it tends to turn gray and soft. Be sure to leave it in a place where it can dry.

Well, no soap is perfect, but this soap works well for me! It's a little expensive for P60 for a small soap that is just a mere 45 grams, but it lasts me 2 months if used on my face alone. If used on the body? Well that's a different story.

Introducing Me!

I'm Crystal. I'm about to graduate from college (at last) so I'm really excited to start this blog. I've been doing a lot of blog-hopping lately and I thought of starting my own blog! Being a student, I'm on a budget so I can't always afford the things that I want; but that doesn't mean that I can't stop myself from splurging from time-to-time (Thank goodness for all the part-time work that I do).

I love, love, love mineral make-up! I have a lot of foundations, finishing powders and lippies. I don't have much blushes and almost no mineral e/s. Well, since I'm just a college girl eyeshadows aren't really necessary. I only use eyeshadows on special occasions or on days that I want to feel pretty! Because of this, I don't feel the necessity to buy lots of eyeshadows so I just use my CS 88 shimmer palette (and the CS neutral palette which will be arriving soon). Except for eyeshadows, almost all the make-up I use is mineral except for MAC Blot that I put on top of my finishing powder because no mineral finishing powder has better oil control than MAC! lol. My face is such an oil-mine.

Aside from mineral makeup, I love skincare. I believe that prevention is key so as early as now I use a regimen that works for me. Since my skin is oily and acne-prone, everything I use is oil-free. I also try to incorporate anti-aging products.

I'll be blogging mostly about mineral makeup and skincare and bath products, but once in a while I"m probably going to blog about random stuff. Well, that's all I can say for now. Enjoy my blog!