Please Oh Please Oh Please! (My MAC Venomous Villains Wishlist)

I've really tried to stay clear of Girltalk because I know that if I read the MAC thread, I'll be tempted to buy from the new collections. It did help because now I don't always know about the new collections of MAC, so I don't buy. However, news about the Venomous Villains collection really spread around the blogosphere. So I finally gave in to my curiosity. Lo and behold, whether or not you are fond of Disney villains, this collection is really quite something! Especially when it comes to the lip products, there are a lot of not-so-usual colors included that is really in the spirit of the Disney villians.

The collection is divided into four parts: The Evil Queen, Maleficent, Cruela de Vil and Dr. Facilier. There are really a lot of stuff to look into as this is a big collection.

As for me, I like the Maleficent collection the best.

Here's what I have my eye on:

My Dark Magic Mineralize e/s duo

She Who Dares Mineralize e/s duo

Normally, I don't even look at their mineralize e/s but these are really different. I saw the swatches from Temptalia,

Briar Rose Beauty Powder

Bad Fairy Nail Lacquer

OMG, can you say gorgeouuuus! Look at this duochrome polish. The other ones have dupes according to Temptalia, but this particular one doesn't have one, and it's the prettiest! Darn, I don't buy MAC polishes because they're just to expensive, but darn this is really gorgeous!

So there you have it. This is my wishlist. I won't be getting everything I mentioned, because it's just too much money to spend at once. I'll have to narrow it down, but it will be really hard :P

Disclaimer: These pictures aren't mine, obviously, since they haven't been released yet. I'd like to thank Temptalia especially for the swatch of the Bad Fairy Nail Lacquer. If you want to see more of the collection, please visit her site by clicking on the link.

Clothing Fail

How many of you have tried to buy clothes online? I've never done it, but after seeing so many sellers with their enticing pictures of clothes on Korean models, I decided to give it a try. So I made my order and patiently waited for more than a week. What came next surprised me. Upon inspection of the dress, I found the stitching to be loose and not layered on. There was actually a part wherein the stitching had already gone loose; I don't think it was worth the P800+ I paid for excluding shipping. 

When I tried the dress on, that's when I noticed that there was already a rip in the waistline. It was small, around 1 cm, but the threads around that area was coming loose too, and it seems inevitable that the surrounding areas will unravel too. I contacted the seller I bought it from and asked if I could get a replacement. She told me that she'd contact the supplier and that she'd do her best to get the dress replaced. When she got back to me, she told me that she argued with the supplier but the supplier refused to replace the dress, saying that the damage was small and could be repaired. She offered to refund me the profit she made from the dress, which was P150. I explained to her that having the dress repaired might cost more than P150, because to remove the damage would mean removing that entire area.

She then offered to replace the dress with another style that she had on-hand stocks of. But I could only choose from three styles because those were the only ones left, but I decided not to because of the following reasons: 1.) I didn't really like any of the three 2.) The three dresses were all worth less than what I paid for 3.) She didn't offer to reimburse my shipping.

So, I decided to just take the P150 and use that money to have the dress altered. And there you go, my first time to buy clothing online was a major fail. I don't think I'll be doing this again anytime soon :(

Product Review: PedEgg with Handle

I've read so many good reviews about the PedEgg! I've seen it here locally but it seems expensive to buy it for P700 when it only costs around $7-8 in the US. Plus, I read that the one with the handle is better. At $11, costs more that the one without the handle, but it's still cheaper than buying it locally without the handle.

After testing it out, I find that this product is really very easy to use! All you have to do is scrub your foot. It does take awhile, but it does a really good job of thinning out excess skin. I tell you, the calluses in some parts of my foot are so hard it sometimes gets painful to walk barefoot when they become to thick. Sadly, even when I go get a foot spa, the calluses don't get thin enough. With the PedEgg, I found that they did get considerably thinner.

It's also very convenient that all the excess skin that was exfoliated doesn't spill out from the inside, and then when you're done, you just open up the cover and throw the shavings away.

Here's a look at the shavings from my feet. Not a pretty sight.

I gather that this is a good amount especially since I didn't use it on my whole foot, just on the hard areas.

Of course, the scrubber doesn't last forever. You'll have to replace it, too. I think you can buy three pieces for $10. I haven't seen them anywhere locally, though.

Overall, I think this is a great product to have! If only it were cheaper...


Have you tried this? What do you think of it?

Coming Soon: Urban Decay Book of Shadows III

Just when I'm still lusting over Urban Decay's Naked Palette, Here comes another palette to make me drool even more! The Urban Decay Book of Shadows III!

It's loaded with 16 colors, 7 of which are exclusive to this palette, two Sephora exclusive shades and 7 from the permanent collection. And of course, two mini 24/7 liners (Rockstar and Zero) plus a UDPP! 

I seriously lurrrrrrve Urban Decay eyeshadows. They're very smooth and have great pigmentation! And their palettes are really value for money.  Seriously! I WILL have this! No release date yet, but it's expected to be released late this year.

Product Review: Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes

I wasn't really the type who used makeup wipes because they're more costly than using a liquid makeup remover, but ever since I went to makeup school they've become a necessity for me, so I sometimes use them to remove my makeup when I'm too sleepy to wash my face :P But I don't do it often because of the cost.

These Neutrogena wipes have gotten good reviews from other beauty bloggers, and I was fortunate enough to get to try these out when I was in the US. My mom had a pack of these, which she barely used and gave it to me instead. So let me share my thoughts.

Before I start though, I have to say that I only use this for my face, not on my eyes. If I have eye makeup, I will definitely use a liquid eye makeup remover because I don't want to rub my eyes. I'll just give myself more wrinkles that way :P

So here are the pros and cons:

PROS

• Size is big enough to cover the whole face
• Removes foundation and concealer well
• Non-drying
• I don't get pimples the next morning

CONS

• Oily-skinned gals might find this a little too oily for their taste
• I haven't tried this in waterproof eye makeup so I can't tell if it works
• Not available locally

One reason why I like this product is that when I use it in place of washing my face, I still get that "glow" the next morning, as if I applied products on my face. When I don't wash my face at night, I wake up with dull-looking skin, but not with this!

Will I buy this again? I'm open to trying other makeup remover wipes, but I don't mind buying this again too!

How much? I can't remember exactly but I think it costs around $9.99 for a pack of 25 wipes.

Going on a Lifestlyle Change

After I came back from my trip to the US, I gained a lot of weight. I gained 5 pounds in 6 weeks. But before that, I was already ballooning up to an alarming rate. I seriously let myself go, just eating whatever I want, seeing the scale give me a bigger number every few weeks, but not doing anything to correct it. After I came home from the US, I finally put my foot down. This is not right. I needed to make a change.

I wasn't talking about just going on a diet (which is still hard to this day), I'm talking about a lifestyle change. Since June, my main goal was to exercise twice a week. At first I found it hard, only exercising one day a week. I started losing a bit of weight. Then, I decided to commit to finally making it a steady two to three times a week. I felt my arms get leaner. I've only lost a bit of weight, but I felt myself get stronger. I've been a couch potato all my life. Ask all my friends, I've always been extremely weak. But now, I feel different.

I started adding cardio to my workout. At first my goal was three times a week. I'm still not very good at it, but I'm getting better. Starting last week, I decided to up my cardio to five times a week, but keeping the normal workout to two or three times a week. Now I'm finding that I'm getting addicted to it. I actually make time now to work out before going to work. When I'm lying down in my bed I feel like I have to move about or something. 

I still haven't lost much weight. I'm very far from my target weight, but I'm seriously much happier. I'm getting muscles in my arms, and starting to see a little definition in my abs. Just yesterday, I walked/ran 23 stories going up! It was really hard, but I'm planning to make this a regular workout, and hopefully make it to 30 stories, and be running more than walking.

Review: Babyliss Pro 230 Iron

When I started doing hairstyling, I had to upgrade my tools. And for professional use, I'm looking for a flat iron that will give me results in a jiffy, since I'm normally pressed for time.

I bought my Babyliss Pro 230 iron from good recommendations from my peers and teacher. I waited for their anniversary sale, because boy does this cost a pretty penny! Yes, I held out for that long :P I've been using it for a few months now and I'm liking it. Here's what I like:

PROS

• Heats up easily
• You can choose the heat setting
• Straightens well but might need more than one pass especially for people with hard-to-straighten hair
• It's tourmaline and ceramic so it won't damage your hair as much as regular irons
• Hair doesn't look dull after use
• Has a swivel cord so you won't have problems with tangling the cord
• Creates flips easily
• Makes a good hair curler, with a bit of practice
• Can be used locally! I really wanted to buy from CHI (which is one of the top brands for flat irons) but they can't be used here due to voltage problems

CONS

• It's such a bother that the on and off button is at the same place where you grip your hand! I keep accidentally shutting it off especially when I use it on myself.
• You have to pass the iron through the hair quickly, or else you'll end up with a slight fold where you started

Good flat irons are quite expensive, but I'm glad I made the purchase!

Where to buy and how much? At SM Department Stores and Landmark for around P3,400.

Rating: 4.5/5

PS. I didn't show a before and after pic, because my hair is rebonded so it wouldn't show much of a difference :P

Any thoughts? Who has tried this? I'd love to see your feedback.

NYX Jumbo Pencils in Strawberry Milk and Yoghurt

I've read so many good reviews about NYX Jumbo Pencils, but they said that it's creamy that it can crease! Being the greaseball that I am, I ran in the opposite direction. BUT! I found that though I may not be able to use them on my eyelids, I found a use for them... on my waterline!

My quest for a perfect pink pencil on the waterline started when I was in makeup school. One of my mentors, Ms. Nina, showed us what she used for her waterline: it was a pink jumbo pencil from MUFE. She said that pink was the natural color of our waterline which is why she preferred a pink or nude colored one instead of the white ones that a lot of people use. Well, since MUFE is expensive, I decided to turn to NYX to find a cheaper alternative. Thus, here we are!

Presenting, NYX Jumbo Milk Pencils in Strawberry Milk and Yoghurt:

Here they are when swatched:

When applied to the waterline, it indeed does make your eyes look brighter (because of the shimmers too) without using white.

Here's what I love about it:

• It's very creamy. You know how sometimes it takes pencils forever to show up on your waterline? Not this one!
• Staying power is good! More than 6 hours and there's still a good amount left! Some pencils disappear quickly in my waterline, but not this!

Here's what I don't love about it:

• It's jumbo-sized, so it's possible to accidentally smear some on your lower lashline. You have to be careful with application.

Please note that I am reviewing this as a waterline pencil, and not as anything else, but of course, don't be afraid to try and use this as eyeshadow!

Will I buy this again? When I run out, yes!