Caress Nail Polish in Shower Party

It is ironic that I'm a person who loves color but my nails are just dull and blank. My main reason for having colorless nails is because of my carelessness. It only takes seconds for nail polish to stay on without any damage (chip, scratch, etc). My second reason would be the fact that I don't want my chubby fingers to be emphasized *toink*. One day, while I was having my nails cleaned, I was offered by our home-service manicurist to try on something for a change. I paused for around 5 seconds before I said yes. =P

I gave in because I know I could always remove it if it doesn't look good. Also, it is not noticeable. It just gives a light shine, not too glossy and scratches are not too obvious haha. It made my hand look clean, girly and presentable. I would describe it as the lightest shade of metallic pink or almost nude. 

(Yikes! I know I'm not a good hand model. Sorry for the sausage fingers =S)

I have tried looking for this in Watsons and other department stores but I couldn't find this shade. I heard it's available at Sta. Lucia East for P 24. 75. Super affordable! The color is perfect for everyday wear and even for other special occasions. How about you? Do you prefer dark and bold colors or you're also into nude shades like me? Let me know what you think!

Pure Beauty @ Serendra

Starting your 2013 goal to look fabulous and don’t know where to start? I suggest you should start with your ‘tools’ to make it happen by shopping for new beauty products. Call your kikay best friend and go to Pure Beauty at Serendra. They offer different products like makeup, hair accessories, nail polish and other beauty essentials but they only offer limited brands such as Nyx, Revlon, Graftobian, Shiseido, Red Earth, Charm, Aveeno, Temptu, Goody, Orly, Wet N Wild, L.A. Colors, Ben Nye, Bdellium Tools, Burt’s Bees and products from Make-up Designory. This is a shopping haven for makeup artists as they also sell makeup train cases, Zuca Pro Makeup Bags and airbrush cosmetics. Since most products are imported, the prices would be average to high. Also, when I went there last week, there seems to be a problem with the store's air conditioning system. I hope it's only temporary as the room temp could affect the quality of the products and it might affect the customers. I also had difficulties in choosing what to buy because they don’t have testers and most products are out of stock. =( You can also try their new shopping website shoppurebeauty.com but it seems they only have a few products available online as compared to what they have in the store. 

Have you shopped for your 2013 beauty essentials? Share what's inside your kikay kits! Have an awesome weekend! =)

Bits of My 2 weeks

I'm back!! Okay, I owe my so-called 'readers' a lot of posts so I'm summarizing them all in here:

1. I've been eyeing a good organic shampoo and conditioner but instead got freebies from Tresemme and Syoss. I tested each brand for a week and got good results. Too bad what I need is organic =( 

2. I love S&R's Smartfood White Cheddar, and I've been craving for it since forever. So when I saw Chimara's white cheddar, I knew I just had to buy a big bag =) 

3. My seatmate Chin shared her good find from Book Sale. Lela Lee's Angry Little Girls. They are all funny and witty plus it was easy to finish hehe =P I can also relate to their negativity and craziness. =P

4. Kai's gift - Lip and Cheek Stain from Body Shop in #1. A quick fix for a fresh and simple look. With one 'device' you could give a color on those pale lips and give your cheeks a natural flush.

5. Merienda with mom at Mary Grace (Podium). We suddenly craved for grilled ensaymadas and I added my favorite Summer Squash soup. This could have been perfect with a cup of hot choco or coffee =P

6. Saw this adorable Marc Jacobs glitter-finish leather mouse ballet flats and it was too cute!=P

7. Finally bought some of my organic gifts at the Echo Store (Podium). I'll be back for more items specifically the Oryspa products for me. =P A good shop to buy giveaways and locally-made food. 

8. Theo & Philo Dark Chocolate with Green Mango and Sea Salt from Kai. It had a very unique taste, blending different flavors - sour, salty and sweet. Until now I still can't describe it. 

9. Dressed up as Elle Driver (Asian version) at our Annual Year-end Xmas Party. 

Photo c/o John So's instagram =P

10. Introduced my planner's new partner: A Cross pen and pencil duo c/o Mom =P

11. I'm just amazed how eyeliner makes the eyes more dramatic. This is my first eye liner attempt and I hope this would do the magic and not sabotage it =P I love how it is easy to apply and how fast it dries. The only problem is I really don't know how to apply it. As they say, practice makes perfect. So if you see my face looking all weird and messy, you know what I did =P

Sorry to be missing in action. Just had our CPU repaired and the laptop had been busy with my brother. I'm sure to write more posts this coming week and I'm also planning to revamp my blog's look for 2013. (If the world would not end haha) Yihee I'm excited! More pahabol posts coming soon. Let's end this year with a bang! Happy Weekend!! =)

Subarashi at Metrowalk

Konnichiwa! If you like Japanese goods, you should drop by Subarashi which is located at the 2nd floor of Metrowalk, beside elbow room. Let me tell you why:

Yummy Japanese candies, multi-flavored KitKat chocolate bars, everyone's favorite flavored bread

sticks (Pocky & Pretz), Jap coffee, more chocolates, tea and noodles! 

Japan is also known for good beauty products and they have them here as well. This is where I bought my Naturactor concealer and they also have Chifure cosmetic products, Shu Uemura eyelas curlers, some Shiseido Tsubaki Shampoo and conditioner.  

They also have other items such as notebooks, cute Jap girl magnets, and dolls.

What's good about this store is that if you have some items that you would like to buy from Japan, you can ask and you can order from them. Prices could be a little high but I think it's good enough if you would compare it to buying it online and having it shipped =)  

Naturactor Cover Face 140

My kikay must-have is a concealer all because I have panda eyes (dark circles). A make-up artist once suggested to use Naturactor as my concealer/foundation to cover imperfections, dark circles and/or blemishes. I was really amazed on its coverage and how it was easy to apply. The only problem is it's not available in the market. After searching everywhere, I finally found it in a Japanese store named Subarashi at Metrowalk, Ortigas (which I'll be having a separate post soon).     

Since almost everything in the box are in Japanese characters, I got the product description from Meiko Cosmetics Malaysia's website [http://meikocosmetics.com.my]. They are Meiko's authorized distributor for  Meiko Cosmetics, Inc (JAPAN).

COVER FACE (FOUNDATION)

Provides great coverage for skin. It's long lasting and you only need to apply a little to get the perfect skin look.
Special to make up artis and professional use.

Suitable for: All Skin Types (Fragrance free)
Size: 20g

Ingredients:

Jojoba Oil - helped with the dry and flaky skin

Mica - moisture your skin,in smaller portions will still offer this benefit for youthful looking skin without the added irritation.

Tocopherol, Vitamin E - improving metabolism and immune system skin.

Colors Available:

Colour Guide:

130	light color, make pale or dull skin a rosy effect look more youthful,  suitable for very fair skin tone. delicate,especially for bridal make up.
140	light in color for slightly deeper color than the 130, suitable for fair skin tone.
141	medium color and skin color natural fit yet translucent effect, suitable for fair skin tone as shading. The colour transition of natural, soft, suitable for stage makeup studio makeup. Suitable for medium skin tone.
151	Good coverage for face defects and shading, suitable for malay skin tone.
171	Green neutralizes any redness on your face, from broken blood vessels, blemishes, irritation etc. It helps inhibit red complexion effectively cover the red spots left by acne.

Source: http://meikocosmetics.com.my/en/products/make-up/naturactor?view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=138&virtuemart_category_id=17

Good thing the store had testers and I was able to try all shades. At first I thought 151 suits my skin but the girl who sold me the product said it's a bit dark for me. Geez! I spent almost 30 minutes deciding what shade  to buy. 130 was the lightest and I don't think I'm too 'white'. I was torn between 140 and 141 and I couldn't even identify the difference. I just decided to buy 140 based on the makeup artist's suggestion (if I remembered it correctly) since it's good (daw) for fair skin tone. I just hope I chose the right shade and I hope it would work well with my oily skin. It's a bit pricey (P 1,200) but I believe in the good quality of the product and I think this would go a long way. I've been using it for a week now and so far so good. Sorry I couldn't show a before and after pic. =P Have you tried this product? Let me know what you think! =)

My 2 Scents

I usually spray on tons of baby cologne right before I leave the house. By the time I get to the office, the scent has already evaporated and I would spray some on again. This has been a very tiring habit that's why I bought new fragrances that would last longer without spending so much.

Introducing Zen Zest's Earth and Fire (P270 for 50ml). These scents are perfect for everyday wear as they are light, fresh and it's not too strong. For me I liked Earth better because it smells like citrus. Fire has a floral smell and is perfect for evening wear. Sometimes it's hard to find the right type of perfume. You have to do a lot of trial and error to identify if it reacts well with your skin and to know it's staying power. For both scents,  I think it lasted around 6-8 hours which is far longer than the usual colognes I wear. 

Try to drop by the nearest Zen Zest branch and check out what's the right scent for you.

They also have a wide range of Eau de Toilette and Eau de Cologne fragrances to choose from. =)

Keratin Treatment

Keratin is the main component of our hair, skin and nails. As for our hair, due to its exposure to heat and chemicals, our hair becomes brittle and dry. A simple hot oil treatment can give conditioning to the hair and scalp but not really protect it. Also, its effects immediately wear off after a few days. Keratin treatment protects and makes the hair shafts smooth by coating the hair follicle. It helps change the structure of the hair making it stronger.

I purchased a voucher at Metrodeal for P249 instead of P1200 at David’s Salon Wilson Branch for Keratin Treatment. Take note that this is not the Keratin Straightening Treatment nor the Brazilian Keratin Treatment. At David's Salon they did not use heat, and it's not used to straighten hair but its sole purpose is to nourish our hair with its lost properties (in short to make it shiny again). The process was the same with hot oil (shampoo, apply, keep on for 30 minutes then rinse). My hair was lathered with the keratin 'cream' and my hair was covered with cling wrap to hold it in place. 
[Sorry I looked like a freaking alien in this pic =P ]

By the way I loved the shoulder and upper back massage while I waited. It was perfect since I was so tired from my flight back from HK. After about 45 minutes, my hair was rinsed and blow dried. =)

I just loved how my hair felt after:

• My hair became more manageable and shiny.
• Smoother hair, less frizzy and easy to comb
• Shorter time in fixing my hair

 After 2 weeks, I can still feel the effects. However, the one who did the treatment did not inform me that I should not wash it for at least 2 days. I hope washing it after a day is ok. It's my third week now and I can still feel the softness but my hair's texture is slowly going back to its old frizzy state. I think it should be a monthly thing just like with hot oil. Over all, I would repurchase again and I really think it's way better than hot oil =) Check out your favorite coupon sites for promos! =)

Make Up Sale

Want to look fab but on a tight budget? Check out some branded makeup at discounted prices!

A.     Golden Ratio Contour Maker #02 Pink

Original Price – Php 518.40         

Selling for – Php 450.00

B.     Rose Marble Peach Blush

Original Price – Php 478.00

Selling for Php 380.00

C.     Sweet Eye Cupcake

Original Price – Php 318.40

Selling for Php 255.00

D.    Peach Beam Blusher

Original Price – Php 382.40       

 Selling for – Php 300.00

 

A.1 L’oreal True Match Makeup Base – 30 ml

Original Price – Php 425.00

Selling for – Php 350.00

A.2 Skin Food Aloe Sun BB Cream 50 g

Original Price – Php 1,200

Selling for Php 700.00

B. L'oreal True Match 30 ml

G3- Golden Beige – used only once

Original Price – Php 995.00

Selling for – Php – 750.00

C. Max Factor Facefinity Compact Foundation 10g (36 M)

Porcelain & Toffee

Original Price – Php 795.00

Selling for Php 650.00

D. Liquid Foundation – Loreal True Match 30ml – (12m)

Sealed with price tag – Php 995.00

Selling for Php – Php 800.00

Left to Right : N1 – Nude Ivory, R2 – Apricot Ivory, N4 –Nude Beige, N7 – Nude Amber

E. Revlon Custom Creations 30ml (24months)

Light Medium – sealed, never been used

Adjustable dial to customize shade

Original Price – Php 875.00

Selling for – Php 700.00

F. The Balm Shelter Tinted Moisturizer – 64 ml

Never been used

Original Price – Php 975

Selling for Php 700

G.  Smashbox Tinted Moisturizer – LIGHT

Note: Used only once

Original Price – Php 1,150.00

Selling for Php 900.00

NYX Round Lipsticks - P120.00 each
Gem
Heredes
Indian Pink
Mars
Alecto
Celebrate
Fig
Frappuccino
Heredes
Peony
Raisin
Spellbound
Flower

Left: The Body Shop Limited Collection for Eyes Selling for Php 900.00

Upper Right (in order):
The Body Shop Tinted Glow Enhancer - Selling for Php 500.00
The Body Shop Illuminating Face Base - Selling for Php 700.00
 The Face Shop Acne Solution Concealer - Selling for Php 300.00

Lower Right:
The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes - Selling for Php 400.00

 Dollface Cosmetics

Upper Photo: 32 Shimmer Eyeshadow with Blusher (never been used)
Original Price: Php 950
Selling Price: Php 750

Lower Photo:  Blusher (never been used)
Original Price: Php 850.00
Selling Price: Php 680.00

Smashbox Master's Class - never been used
Original Price - P 3,200
Selling for P 2,800

Bobbi Brown Collection

Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful - never been used
Original Price: Php 3,000.00
Selling Price: Php 2,700.00

 

COVERGIRL

Country woods Eyeshadow Palette (Brand new, sealed)

Selling for Php 400.00

 PALLADIO Shimmer Strips (Brand new, sealed)
Original Price - Php 450.00
Selling for Php 380.00

 ELF Bronzing Powder
Warm Tan & Luminance
Selling for P 180.00 each

REVLON Blush & Bronzer (used once only)

Plumberry Prun

Original price: Php 575.00

Selling price: Php 450.00

Top photo: NYX Rouge Cream Blush (never been used)

Dive

Rose Petal

Golden

Bronze Goddess

Original Price - Php 330.00

Selling Price - Php 280.00

Bottom Photo: NYX Rouge Cream Blush (used)

Natural - Php 180.00

Orange - Php 280.00

 IN2IT Face Powder Oil Control

#03 Harvest (never been used)

Original Price: Php 379.75

Selling Price: Php 275.00

 Revlon Just Bitten (Flame) - Lipstain + Balm

Original Price: Php 575.00

Selling for Php 480.00

 

Revlon Colorstay

Brown Enhancer + Highlighter

Medium Brown + Soft Pink (sealed) - Php 480.00

Light brown + Champagne - Php 420.00

Covergirl All-day Lip Color (semi-permanent)

Ever Red-dy

Selling for Php 400.00

Note: There are some items which are slightly used and is noted in the caption.

If you're interested, please contact Iking at 09178106393.

Thanks!=)