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.