Nyx Powder Blush Mocha

Blush has been a vital part of my daily makeup routine, without it I would look sick and pale. So when my old cheek color ran out, I scanned the net for the next best affordable blush. I came across NYX which is a brand I trust for lippies and apparently they have good reviews for their blushes as well.

(During this time, the official NYX store at Megamall hasn't opened yet) I thought of buying it online but I wanted to try on the different shades as the color may appear different. Fortunately, I remembered that there was a certain store in Greenhills that sells authentic Nyx products - The Make Up Store.

  

I really had a hard time choosing the best shade. I even thought of buying my three favorites, but good thing it all came down to MOCHA. =) If I remember it correctly I got it for P320.00.

 

With its name, you're probably expecting a brownish tone but it's NOT. It's actually more of an old rose or warm pink which is perfect to get that slightly flushed look.

[With flash]

[With Natural Light]

What I love about it:

• The most important thing is that it didn't cause any breakouts.
• It's really pigmented. I only need a couple of strokes to get the right amount of color. (This means it will last longer.)
• Very affordable
• It's not glittery and it has a nice matte finish which is good for my oily skin.
• Blends well.
• Lasts 2-4 hours
• Nice, simple and light packaging ( I hope it won't break easily though)

The only thing I hope it could improve on is it's staying power but over all, it's a great buy for me.
Check out their wide range of powder blush here.

Have you tried the other shades? Let me know what you think!

Brow Lounge

One of the pains of having thick brows is keeping it groomed. I used to think that the stray hairs would be unnoticeable, but after some time I realized having tidy brows makes my face look fresh and neat. I usually have my hair removal sessions at Laybare but I decided to try Brow Lounge at Robinsons Magnolia for a change. I had the Brow Tidy (maintaining shaped brows by removing excess brow hair using a combination of threading, trimming and tweezing) for P180

They had a common room for all eyebrow-related services and was assisted later on into a private room for half-leg waxing (P300).

 

What I liked about the service:

1. The technician clearly explained some issues involving my brows. She pointed out a part of my brow that I had to grow out to make it even.

2. They use 100% anti-microbial thread and not the ordinary sewing thread.

3. For the waxing, they used hot wax which was less messy and took shorter time and less pain compared to cold wax.

4. No long lines.

5. The place had nice interiors and was very clean.

 

They also offer other services such as brow tinting, and lash extensions. Check their full list of services and prices here.

While their eyebrow 'cleaning' service is slightly more expensive than that of Laybare's, I think it was worth it. Overall, it was a good experience and I would definitely visit again.

Visit The Brow Lounge
2/F Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City; Tel. No. 403-5803
3/F Robinsons Magnolia Town Center,  Quezon City; Tel. No. 625-4301
Lower ground floor,  The Annex, SM City North Edsa, Quezon City; Tel No. 352-0343
4th Floor, Robinsons Magnolia  

Zenutrients

When buying beauty and bath products, do you often check the ingredients if it contains harmful chemicals? Now you don't have to worry, Zenutrients offers a wide range of products that are all-natural and effective. They have a lovely store at the 2nd floor of V-mall Greenhills, and they also have small kiosks in other malls.

 

 

One of their bestsellers is the gugo shampoo which according to their site 'contains extract and pulp of dried matured gugo vines. Gugo has been used by Filipinos even earlier than the year 1500. It contains saponin, a plant hormone that is credited for its cleansing and hair growing properties.'

According to their staff this is best for those who have thinning hair and this prevents hair fall.

Their #1 bestseller is the Special Blend Massage Oil with Ginger. If you're the type of person who loves a good massage at home, this one is for you. It costs around P350 for a 250 ml bottle.

Next in their bestselling list are the scrubs. I'm not really into scrubs since I'm always in a hurry to take a bath but I changed my mind when I learned that using body scrubs have a lot of benefits. The most popular one would be Coffee which some say helps to reduce cellulite. They also have Green tea - nature's best anti-oxidant, Oatmeal and Goat's Milk and a lot more.

They have All is Well which is their wellness product to breathe in for headaches, travel sickness or dizzyness.  

I bought my second bottle of Aloe Vera Conditioner P250. I think I mentioned in a previous post that this product is easy to rinse and it lessened my hair fall. Plus, it makes my hair really soft when it's dry. Some people still juice out aloe vera leaves as part of their beauty regimen. I just opted for the more convenient version since we don't have aloe vera in our backyard. =P

I also gave in to my body scrub curiosity and tried their Sweet Pea and Honeysuckle (P 225) which smells like Victoria's Secret perfume with beads =P

 

I'm not sure if their kiosks carry all their products, but this branch at GH seems to be complete.

According to their staff, they will be opening a bigger store at Kapitolyo so watch out for that. 

Since their store at V-mall is a bit hidden, you may seek assistance from the concierge desk for directions.

You can also check out their website http://zenutrients.com/ for their products. However, some of the new items are not yet included.

Special thanks to JK for letting me know about this place. Have a fun weekend! =)

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar

I was asked by my friend/makeup guru JK to join her little experiment on how a certain lip product would last. She introduced me to Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar. It somehow reminded me of Lancome's Juicy Tubes. 

I first tried on Memento which is a pink/plum neutral shade. At first look you would think it's nude but its a light shade of pink. It turned out to be lighter than I expected but I liked it. It made me feel youthful and it's perfect for a barely there makeup. 

The second shade that I tried is Strumpet which is a deep-red burgundy shade. We used it with Art Deco's lip liner. Tip: You need to apply it with a lip brush for good and even coverage. I rarely wear dark shades since I usually don't go out at night but this shade is really pretty. A good sub for your favorite red lipstick that makes you feel sexy =P. I felt a bit shy wearing it at first because people in the office might ask me saan ang gimik ko but later on I had the hang of it.

Verdict:

+ A small bead-size amount goes a long way. 

+ I liked it because it is highly pigmented like I'm wearing lipstick. 

+ There was no oily/wet feeling like in an ordinary lip gloss. 

- It stays on like a normal lipstick, and while its is known to last longer, we were a bit disappointed that after a few meals, the color began to fade. 

+/- It's also good that it wasn't drying because according to OCC, it has Hemp Oil, Peppermint Oil and Vitamin E, but it makes the lines on your lips more noticeable. 

+ You can also mix the colors to create a new shade. 

- Another downside is you can only buy these from online sellers since they don't have an actual store here in the Phil. 

+/- Price is around P800 which is a bit expensive. But again, you only a need a bead-size amount so I think a tube would last a couple of months if you would use it everyday =)

Sesou

A lot of people are now switching to organic products to prevent harmful chemicals. Most people would go to Healthy Options for more organic alternatives but their products could be a bit pricey. Thanks to Sesou Nature Source going 'green' is now affordable.

They also have organic products for your home including goo remover, laundry soaps and dish-washing soaps.

They have a wide range of organic soaps for the body including unusual ingredients like bearberry and seaweed. I got curious with the Dreadlocks Hair Wax. I wonder how it will be used (not that I'm thinking of having dreads, just imagining =P)

Lots of hair products too including the famous argan oil which have a lot of benefits for our hair.

I dropped by Sesou to get a new conditioner because my Oryspa bottles are now empty.

I noticed that organic conditioners are easier to rinse and I have less falling hair. 

I was so busy sniffing bottles left and right as I was looking for the conditioner that would treat my dry hair with a good and fresh scent.

I bought the Aloe Vera Conditioner from Z.E.N. for P250.00 which is a bit pricey compared to the usual conditioners but I think it's a good price to keep my hair healthy. This is a late post and I'm almost done with my bottle. I loved that it's not drying and a small amount could go a long way. It's easier to rinse which saves up bathroom time. On application, I usually concentrate more on the tips and use a wide-toothed comb to remove the tangles and to spread the conditioner evenly. But I noticed with this conditioner, the comb is not necessary. This is definitely a good buy.

Check out Sesou's FB page or Multiply page for their list of branches and to know more about their products. 

Star Finder Optical

A lot of people have been asking me where I bought my eyewear that's why I'm sharing it with you. =)
I got it from Star-finder Boutique which has a lot of Korean eyeglasses. I got a light-weight frame from HumanEye Korea which is good for everyday wear. A lot of people (even celebrities) are digging the nerdy look with the classic wide-framed lenses probably because of the casual look and most importantly for comfort.  

Who would think twice seeing how affordable it is?

Having fun with the different styles =)

Photos of local and Korean celebrities are posted everywhere =P I was surprised that Martin Nievera's eyeglasses are from Star Finder =)

This is my "this-is-it" look when I finally decided what to buy.

Before purchasing, the staff would double check if your eye grade is still the same. You would go throught some vision tests that would only take around 5-10 minutes. Then you would only have to wait 45 minutes to an hour to get it fixed =) For the frame and multi-coated lenses I paid around P1,500, which is a good deal for an awesome pair of eye glasses. =)

Star-finder Boutique has branches at Festival Mall Muntinlupa, BF Homes Paranaque and Robinsons Ermita. I'm not sure if they have a website but you can check their FB page https://www.facebook.com/StarFinderOptical.ph?fref=ts