Nail It! Salon near Katipunan, Quezon City

I spend a lot of free time in Katipunan so I spend that time for my grooming needs: pedicures, waxes, haircuts and other stuff. I've already explored a good number of nail salons in or near Katipunan and will continue to do so.

For my nail-related needs in Katipunan, I've grown fond of Get Polished, but recently, I got curious about Nail It. I've been seeing it recently on my way to Lay Bare Waxing Salon. On a whim, I decided to give it a try.

Loving the purple and white motif!

The waiting area:

Cashier/payment area:

and the lounge:

I just got the regular pedicure. Although the nail technician who did my nails didn't have the most gentle hands on earth, I didn't get any wounds which is the most important thing.

The cleaning costs P120 and the polish application costs P100 so I paid P220 all-in-all. It costs around the same price as the average nail salon. For that price, I got a little foot soak with a very light foot exfoliation, nail cleaning, a mini-leg massage and nail polish application.

Nail It uses only Orly and The Face Shop polishes, which might be a bit of downer for girls who are not fans of these brands. They also have several packages to help us save money! Plus, get this: Lay Bare VIP Cardholders get 10% off according to my suki waxing lady. I haven't confirmed this, though, since I only found out about it when I went to Lay Bare after my pedicure. Boohoo :( Oh well, next time!

Mentholatum Lip Ice Swatches

Okay, okay. I admit it, I bought the two other variants of the Lip Ice SPF 15 that I found in Watsons. After reviewing Lip Ice in Candy Apple, I actually went back and bought Pretty Pink and Sweet Rose. So I thought that I'd swatch it for you guys since there are no testers in Watsons.

from L-R: Candy Apple, Pretty Pink and Sweet Rose

Candy Apple, which I previously reviewed, is the most pigmented among them. Pretty Pink is anything BUT pink. It's actually a peach-y color. Sweet Rose is a slightly lighter version of Candy Apple. I recommend buying only one of either Candy Apple and Sweet Rose since they're similar in color.

How do you find these?

On Why I Haven't Been Blogging

Hello pretty people! I have to apologize for not blogging recently, but for the past week I have been battling cellulitis. It began as a simple bite (most likely by a cockroach) but got infected by some bacteria. I actually have a feeling that the bacteria itself came from the cockroach. We never know where it's been! That same day, I had a hard lump that was around 1x1 inch and painful. The next day, I could barely walk going home so I passed by a doctor she diagnosed it as cellulitis (which confirmed what I had searched in the internet). My bump had grown more than twice its size. The doctor started me on a regimen of oral and topical antibiotics, but for several days it still continued to grow. My foot had really swollen, too. I had a hard time walking for days and sometimes, I was confined to the bed. It's only now that I'm already walking properly, although my leg hasn't healed yet. I still experience some pain. But as of today, I am back to work. Hopefully, my leg will continue healing soon and I can start blogging again. 

'Til Then!

Urban Decay Releases its Fall Collection!

Hello everyone! Who here loves Urban Decay? I know I do! With the exemption of their glittery shadows, I love their eyeshadows! They're creamy and pigmented for an affordable price. Last night, I got an email from Urban Decay about their Fall Collection and this one caught my eye: the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette!

I want this! But unfortunately, it's out of stock in the Urban Decay website. Hopefully, they'll have stocks again! How about you? Are you eyeing this?

Mentholatum Lip Ice in Candy Apple

I am probably the last person to get into the Lip Ice craze! When this first became popular, I didn't really buy any because I had a lot of lip stuff. But I've been craving for some lippies lately and I do need some with SPF 15, so I gave in and bought my very first Lip Ice lip balm.

What I like about it:

• It has no mineral oil.
• It contains SPF 15.
• It has beeswax
• It's reasonably priced at around P130.

What I don't like:

• It smells weird O.o

I was actually surprised by the pigmentation of this lip balm. I thought it would just have a slight tint but it's actually quite pigmented. It has a glossy finish. Don't expect much in terms of staying power, after all it's just a lip balm.

To give you an idea, here is a picture of my lips without lip balm and with lip balm:

What do you think? I'd love to know your thoughts.

Beauty Lemming: NARS Blush/Bronzer Trio

Ever since I read about this from beauty blogs months back, I knew I wanted this: the blush/bronzer trio from NARS' Portrait of Paradise. It costs a pretty penny at $55, but it includes 3 iconic NARS products: Orgasm blush, Albatross highlighter and Laguna bronzer. I have Orgasm and it's one of my favorite blushes! I just hope that this will be available locally. Please oh please oh please!

My Mani-Pedi Experience @ Studio Zen Salon

If you're like me, then you're addicted to purchasing groupon deals from sites such as ensogo, metrodeal, etc. I love these groupons! They're a great way to save money, but be careful, some of them may be misleading. Anyway, I'm not going to talk about that today. I'm going to talk about a deal that I purchased a few months ago, but I haven't been able to post. I bought a deal from ensogo where I only paid 250 for a pedicure and manicure at Studio Zen Salon. 

As of now, they have only two branches: one in Cubao and a newly-opened one in Katipunan. Since I'm always in Katipunan, I opted to have mine done there.

Upon entering, I was greeted by a nicely-decorated interior. Its motif is black and white. Classy but at a student's price.

Sadly, I wasn't able to take a picture of the pedicure/manicure area, which was quite cozy.

So let me tell you about the highlights and lowlights of my experience:

HIGHLIGHTS

• It's common for hair salons to have a limited selection of nail polish. However, aside from Orly and Sally Hansen polishes, they also have some Misa polishes which made me happy because they're not common here :)

LOWLIGHTS

• Only one person did both my manicure and pedicure so it took longer than I hoped for.
• They don't have a base coat, so if you're peculiar about that better bring your own.
• There is only one parking slot :( They should really do something about that. It took me a long time to park.

The unique thing about this salon is that for a certain amount, you can avail of unlimited sessions of a certain service. For example, for only P590 a month, you get unlimited manicures and pedicures! So it's very affordable if you like getting your nails done all the time!

As for me, I think I will stick to nail salons for my nail jobs :)

Product Review: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

Hey everyone! How are you all doing? The rains were stronger than usual today in my part of the world. Anyway, today I will review Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. This is just a sample that was given to me. For a while, it was just sitting in my dresser, but lately since I've been doing some traveling, this was the perfect opportunity to try this out.

As you might know, gel moisturizers are better for oily-skinned gals like me. This gel is very easily absorbed by the skin, and leaves the skin feeling smooth. There's absolutely no greasy feel. I also didn't experience any breakouts from this. Your male friends/BFs might also appreciate this because it doesn't feel like putting cream on their face. Take note that dry-skinned individuals may find that this is not moisturizing enough for them.

Will I buy this again? If this were cheaper, I'd definitely buy this, but the price is a little prohibitive. For those who'd like to try this out, ask your friends and relatives in the US to buy this for you.