What's in the bag?

It looks familiar, eh? Oops, there seems to be an oil spill.

It's my second third purchase from Human Heart Nature. And, I have an announcement to make: Human Heart Nature (Davao) has transferred to its new location in Plaza del Carmen, Loyola Street, Obrero, Davao City. They have a more convenient location now and their store is really nice. Too bad I didn't bring my camera when I made my purchase. Maybe I could give you a snapshot of their store the next time I visit.

I'm really excited about their Sunflower Cleansing Oil and I used it immediately when I got home. My first view? Well, it is effective in removing make up. It also claims to be an effective aid in removing mascara but since I didn't wear mascara when I used this product, I cannot really say. Just be careful when you purchase this item because its pump does not have a cap on it. I spilled some oil on the brown paper bag and on to some of my paperworks, luckily, it did not steep into the car seat cover.

I also purchased another variant of their shampoo: this time, it's Pearl Powder, Aloe Vera and Peppermint. My first view: the shampoo smells really good, it reminds me of Kendi Mint. Hahaha! I used it today with the Avocado and Seaweed Conditioner and so far, my hair has behaved accordingly, no fly-away! =)

Next item on the list are two Passionfruit Lipsticks bought at P99 each using the Kiss Carmine Goodbye Promo voucher. I chose Sweet Nectar for me and mom chose Pink Skies. My first view: I was complaining that the lipstick is dry and was like chalk when I swatched it on my hand. I applied it on my lips and it was still dry and it over-emphasized my lip lines. I did not use any lip balm before I applied the lipstick. I guess it's better to apply a lip balm first. Anyhow, I still used my Sweet Nectar lipstick today and found out that after a few hours of wearing it, it wasn't really dry after all. I just don't know why it feels chalky upon application. I love the shade of this lipstick, it's looks so natural on me!

I don't know how to take a good photo of the swatches. Duh!

Urban Decay Eden Primer Potion

Photo from The Hyphen Store

I won this Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer from The Hyphen Store's giveaway and I'm so excited to try it! It arrived nicely packed in a bubble wrap with a note that says: Handle with care: Make-up. =) I think that's sweet. Thank you Lady E! =)

I'm very excited to try this but there's a little problem: I threw out all of our eyeshadows last week. So I guess I will just have to make this UDPP wait a little while until I get myself an eyeshadow or two (or three, four, hehe!)

I haven't opened the box yet.... Looking at it all packed and unopened still makes me very excited! Hahaha!

Once again, thank you to Lady E of The Hyphen Store! =)

How to make your own sugar/honey wax

I've got 2 orders for this and it reminded me that I have to share this procedure with you. I make my own sugar wax and I'm really proud of it. =) I was an avid fan of Lay Bare Waxing Salon during my short 6-month stay in Manila but I could not find the same waxing service here in Davao. So, I researched the internet and found this procedure from Ehow.com. I made a few adjustments and here is how I make my own sugar/honey wax:

Use a heavy saucepan. And this is very important because you don't want to burn your wax. 

The key ingredient: 2 cups of sugar.

1/4 cup lemon juice.
I find using lemon juice to be expensive. As an alternative, I squeeze out 1/4 cup of kalamansi juice.
I spend less than P15 pesos for kalamansi from my neighbor's sari-sari store.
As for this piece of lemon, I spent P27.00 at Makro.

The lemon is harder to squeeze because of its size.

1/4 cup honey

Also add 1/4 cup water and mix all ingredients in the heavy saucepan.
Now, you're ready to start the fire! Haha!

That's how it looks like when it starts to boil.

Remember to keep your flame at the minimum once the mixture starts to boil.
You need at least 25 minutes to maximum of 35 minutes of boiling time to get your desired consistency.

After boiling for 5 minutes.

10 minutes. I used a wooden spatula to stir the mixture.
I stir the mixture in 5-minute intervals to avoid it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

15 minutes. Notice the change in color?

20 minutes... Almost there! =)

25 minutes... A few minutes more and this is good to go....

I usually let the mixture boil for around 30 to 35 minutes before I remove it from the heat. I want my wax to be hard but pliable because I prefer using my bare hands in waxing (specially when I'm waxing my sisters' legs). If you prefer to use waxing strips, then your mixture would already be good at around 25 minutes of boiling time or until it turns golden brown. This way, your wax would be soft enough to be applied to the area you wish to wax.

The finished product.
Place the mixture in a tub and set it aside to cool.

What's your favorite waxing salon/commercial wax?

The Weekend Wedding Singer

I finally had the chance to wear this dress in a formal occasion. Yey! I think I've been keeping this dress for 10 years already and I wear this, sans the belt, only when going to the beach because of its convenience (think: dress/undress to conceal/reveal your swimsuit in 5 seconds). I was the wedding reception host and a little bit of wedding singer for the day. Story and other photos are here.

Face: 

Bare Naturals Primer, Fanny Serrano Powder Foundation in Orleans,

 a little bit of Human Heart Nature Boracay Bronze for contour (may nalalaman pa akong contour???)

Eyes: 

Nichido Concealer, and a combination of Nichido Eyeshadow, 

NYC Mockingbird Duet Eyeliner, Fashion 21 Stick Eyeshadow/Liner in Lilac

Cheeks: 

NYC Almost Apricot

Lips: 

Lancome

Dress: 

from my Lola Elena

Shoes: 

Janeo

I did not have close-up shots that time because I wanted whole-body shots to include my shoes. I *rarely* wear stilettos now. =) Anyway, I've noticed that Bare Naturals Primer has been really good in taming my oiliness. I've been using it for a week now and so far, I am satisfied. But I've actually skipped my moisturizer (and replaced it with Emu Oil Plus) and also skipped using BB Cream. I've noticed that BB Cream makes my face shine after 3 hours even with the Primer. Also, I've been using my In Your Face Kabuki Brush everyday since Wednesday this week and I'm so in love with this brush. <3

GUILTY!

bad cheetah!

I was very excited to open two packages today: One from Bare Naturals and another one from In Your Face Cosmetics.

However, due to my excitement, I forgot about taking care of our planet. Why? Because I tore the packaging: all  four plastic bags which could have been recycled. I'm guilty! And as a penalty to myself, I promise to recycle the plastic packaging of my future purchases.

Now, photos of what I received today:

Bare Naturals Primer, Emu Oil Plus
and a sample of their Black African soap as a freebie

2 kabuki brushes for P495
plus a mini bottle of hand sanitizer as a freebie! =)

Reviews will be coming up in a few days (or weeks, I don't want to be pressured, lol!).


OMG! I've opened the Kabuki brush and it feels like cotton on my face! 
Oh wait, I haven't washed it yet. (--,)V
I'm so excited to try it! Bye!

Product Reviews: San San

Some recent purchases from my neighbor, HBC: San San Thick Lash Mascara and San San Lip Gloss No. 2.

I didn't like the mascara on me, it felt heavy. I always feel sleepy whenever I had it on. So, I would mostly be talking about the lip gloss in this post.

I bought a lip gloss, not a lipstick. But look at this photo:

I sure do look like I'm wearing a lipstick.

San San's lip gloss is highly pigmented and I did not expect it. I bought a lip gloss for those no-makeup days but instead of the sheer color I was expecting, I got a bright and beautiful cherry red. And I REALLY LIKE IT!!!

Here's a closer look:

I like that the lip gloss is not heavy nor thick. The high pigmentation was not expected but I like it, anyway. I currently substitute my everyday lipstick for this lip gloss and I'm pretty happy of its luminous color. It dried my lips just a little bit but it didn't make it chap, so it's just fine. It stays on pretty long but I reapply after eating.

Good Girl Gone Bad

CAUTION: THIS IS A FRUSTRATED AND BITTER POST.

Bobbie Base Coat P41.00
My Posh in Berry Red P15.00
Caress Matte Gray
Bobby Sheer for Top Coat P30ish
Caronia Kwik Dry
Caronia Nail Polish Remover P19.25

  

Cute nails, eh? Nope, they're not mine.

I bought the items above to try my luck on doing my own manicure. I did pretty well back in college days. But this time, I had a little upgrade. Instead of just using a color nail polish, I will also be using a base coat, a top coat, and on top of the top coat, a kwik dry. 

And this is what happened:

Now, these are mine. Still bare.

Tada! Bare fingernails. I got so frustrated that I eventually erased everything on my third and final try. Why? Because I did everything wrong. How can it be so difficult? =(

First try:

1. Applied base color perfectly.
2. Applied My Posh Berry Red. The brush is weird. It creates a concave arc during application. The color is very nice but I can't apply it near my cuticles because of the weird brush.
3. Applied top coat but the previous coat is not yet dry, the Berry Red color was diluted.
4. Erase.

Second try:

1. Applied base color perfectly.
2. Applied My Posh Berry Red. Still had that weird brush experience. Waited for it to dry.
3. Applied top coat.
4. Tried to apply Kwik Dry but the brush is also weird. The bristles of the brush has stuck together. (Is this normal?) I tried to mend it by flattening it with my pusher and it has since transformed like a fan brush. I applied the Kwik Dry to my nails with it. After a few minutes, I was not satisfied with my own piece of junk fingernails.
5. Erase for the second time.

Third try:

1. Applied base color. (I'm tired already).
2. Decided not to use the My Posh nail polish and instead applied Caress Gray Nail Polish perfectly on my left hand.
3. Applied Caress Gray Nail Polish to my right hand fingernails but it has already become a little too sticky and I am already very tired and my nose is already very irritated because of the smell of the chemicals
4. Erase.

Self-hate and self-pity mode.

I guess I'll just eat some chocolates.

my consolation

Later, I let my sisters use my stuff. I am no longer interested with nail polishes. Besides, I handwash my intimates everyday.

BITTER!

My sister, April, trying on a bright orange polish from San San

My brother, whose hands are so lady-like. Hahaha!

OOTD

Jacket: My sister's
Dress: Maldita
Bag: Mulberry
Shoes: Grendha

At SM City Davao for a movie date with Johnny Depp. Joke! =)

I wore this outfit to court today and later on in the evening to watch the last installment of the Harry Potter series.

On Nails and Polishes

I was addicted to nail polishes back in college days. I'd have five different shades of pink in each hand and I just love looking at them. Surprisingly, my mother appreciated them too. But my love for nail polishes died down when my nails got yellowish or stained because of the nail polish. I read in a magazine before that it's bad to let the nail polish stay on your nails for more than two days cause it will definitely stain your nails if you keep it on that long. Anyway, I have stopped that addiction since 8 years ago.

Now, there's nail art. Aika used to persuade me into trying nail art (gusto yata akong pag praktisan?). I don't know why I haven't tried it. I like looking at it. Maybe I just don't like getting my nails stained again. It looks ugly getting stained. =(

Recently, I've been reading a lot of beauty blogs and NOTWs are rampant. NOTW means Nails Of The Week in a beauty blogger's world. (News Of The Week is for a different audience). And I've learned a lot from them. (No, I am NOT wearing false eyelashes on ordinary days. For prom, maybe, haha!). So, this is what I've learned recently: Use a base coat to prevent your nails from staining. A base coat is different from a top coat. The base coat would also help your nail polish to adhere more to your nails. The top coat would prevent your nail polish from chipping. Don't believe in a product which says it's both usable as a base coat and a top coat because these two have different purposes.

Ok, ok.... I need to calm down after reading those information. What in the world is a base coat? When I was young (and I mean really, really young), the only nail polish I knew is colorless. Is that the base coat? But it's what Manang Manicurista uses as the top coat. How in the world did this nail polish thingy get so complicated?!

I had a few minutes during lunch break to scour NCCC and HBC for a base coat and surprisingly, their staff were not that knowledgeable in nail polish, just like me. Until one saleslady in NCCC, who was not assigned in the beauty section, voluntarily said that I should look into Bobbie "Colorless" nail polishes and read the back label of the nail polish to see if it can be used as a base coat. (Wow, it really pays to read). So, I did! And I found a Bobbie Basic Nail Hardener and its back label (in the littlest text I've ever seen) says: "Use as base coat before applying your favorite nail color." Yey! I think I've found my base coat. As for the top coat, I think any colorless polish will do. Lol!

This is such a long post for a non-sense topic. I hope you enjoyed reading. As to how my NOTW would go, I still don't know. I haven't used the product yet but I've bought myself some nail-care tools (if that's what you call them). Best of luck to my migraine once I start painting my nails... =)

OOTD

No make-up except for my eyebrows and a little color for my lips.
I don't know the brand of my outfit.
Bag: M&B Hand-Bag
Shoes: Sabato

Excuse the oil slick.

I hate working on Saturdays but some pre-approved client appointments should never be ignored.

I don't like wearing girly shoes for driving but I had to have these shoes repaired because of chipped insoles so I wore it. Wearing it would mean that I would constantly be reminded to have the insoles changed because I always see how ugly they look. ...And I brought slippers to wear while these shoes are being repaired.

Product Review: Human Heart Nature Bug Shield

While at Chowking Bolton, let me share with you my experience with Human Heart Nature's 100% Natural Bug Shield. This bug shield claims that this product is DEET-Free so it's safe. What's DEET, by the way? DEET is a yellow oil which is a very common ingredient in insect repellents. Insect repellents with 10% to 30% DEET content is generally safe for human use according to Wikipedia.

So, about this Human Heart Nature Bug Shield, it's DEET-free so it claims that it does not contain any harmful ingredients. The ingredients used are all natural:

click to enlarge

I have a funny experience with this bug shield lotion. I applied it one morning after shower. After I went outside my bedroom and prepared to go to the office, I received a lot of different reactions from my housemates:

Jovan: You smell like mansanilya. Mansanilya is a liniment generally used by Filipinos for babies. I looked it up in the web and found out that it's the local term for chrysanthemum.

Dad: You smell like salabat. Salabat  is ginger tea.

April: You smell like orange.

I explained to them that I've applied a new bug shield from Human Heart Nature and said that it is made from 100% natural ingredients. After which, I boarded our car with my dad and siblings...

Danilo: Wow, you have a new car freshener. (My brother was obviously referring to the scent of the bug shield and so I told him to smell my arm. Truly enough, he told me my lotion smelled like a car freshener). Lol!

Danee: No, you smell like lemon grass.

I just smiled as we talked about this new bug lotion as we left the house. Those were the diverse reactions from my family. It was funny that they all had different notions of what the scent was. We were actually used to the eucalyptus scent of Off Lotion which, I think, is the first ever widely-available insect repellent in this country.

Just a note: I was twice a dengue victim.

What's in the bag?

Is this another what's in the bag portion? Yes, it is!

So, what's in the bag? ONLY THE GOOD.

...We would never, ever eat out of a brown paper bag. -Jawbreaker (1999)

I went all the way to St. Francis Shell Station in Maa, Davao City to visit Human Heart Nature's distribution center. As you may have read from my previous post, Human Heart Nature had a "Morena and Proud" promo and I joined in it. I got a discount voucher for Human Heart Nature's Love Minerals in Boracay Bronze, a powder foundation with a shade specially designed for the morena Filipinas.

But I did not just end up buying only the powder foundation. I also bought seven (7) other items: (all in 50 ml bottles)

1. Sweet Indulgence Hydrating Lotion - P64.75
2. Sunflower Beauty Oil - P119.75
3. Moisturizing Shampoo and Body Wash (Aloe Vera, Egg White and Mandarin) - P49.75
4. Moisturizing Conditioner (Avocado & Seaweed, Mandarin Scent) - P49.75
5. Chamomile Fresh Feminine Wash - P59.75
6. Moringa Facial Wash - P50.00
7. DEET-Free Bug Shield - P79.75

By the way, I am not replacing (and I don't have any plans yet) my VMV Facial Wash. The Moringa Facial Wash is for my mom and dad. The bottle says that it's for dry or mature skin so I guess it's perfect for my folks. Dad has also been problematic about his dry skin but he doesn't do anything about it. 

Of all the products I bought, I am most excited with the Sunflower Beauty Oil because it claims to have eleven (11) miracles in one bottle.

I will post my reviews once I have tried these products. 

Have you tried these products? Most (if not all) of them smells really really good! What can you say about Human Heart Nature?

VMV Freedom Day Sale!

25% off on selected products! 

3 days of unbridled Skindulgence at 

VMV Boutiques and Counters! 

July 2-4 only!

 Except Armada, Know it Oil, and Fawn and Launder

VMV Davao locations:

2nd floor Abreeza Mall

SM City Davao Department Store