Resplendent Rainbows

Giveaway Package!

2011-07-27T13:35:00.000+08:00

Please don’t think that I stopped blogging. I just have so much backlog and I’m still finding the time for blogging. Anyway, I finally received my giveaway package 2 weeks ago!

After 3 and a half months of waiting, it finally arrived. I was so worried it had gotten lost but good thing it arrived in excellent condition.

And with a cute little note from Tamera as well. I forgot to include it in the pictures but her handwriting is so pretty.

Thanks Tamera! I love the giveaway goodies I received! :) Swatches soon!

Sinful Colors Fusion Neon Swatch

2011-06-27T21:39:00.000+08:00

Another swatch from the Sinful Colors Summer Neon line!

This is Fusion Neon - a bright, neon pink that goes on matte. It chips off pretty easily matte, but I think if you put on top coat it'll last longer. I prefer it matte because it's so pretty!

Sinful Colors Professional, Fusion Neon, 2-3 coats each.

Do you like neons or neon mattes? Or are they too loud and bright for you?

Nail Swatches Galore

2011-06-12T22:47:00.000+08:00

Time flies by so fast, already on my fourth week of work but still adjusting, hence the lack of blogging. I still have to work out my routine and then hopefully I can make regular blog posts.

Nail polish is still my first love though, so I have a bunch of nail swatches for you guys! They've been lying around either on the memory of my camera or on my laptop waiting to be posted. I think you can notice how my nails grow longer with each photo. Hehe.


BNC Nail Color M68, 2 coats w/ top coat, (Php 80.00, Nail Up Kiosks)

I love BNC polishes, they're so easy to apply and colors are great. This nail swatch is totally inaccurate though, it's a darker blue-green creme in real life. I discovered that blues can be a little hard to capture in photos.

Orly Snowcone, 2 coats each (Php 349.75)

Next is Orly Snowcone. This is part of the Sweet Collection released sometime ago, and it's a pretty, pretty pastel blue. I think this may be my favorite from the Sweet Collection. So sad that they haven't made it part of the permanent line.

Sinful Colors Dream On, 2 coats each

RJ's sister has the Sinful Colors Summer Neon line - traveled all the way from the States. This is a real neon purple, dries matte and real quick. Great for lazy nail polish nights! Did you know that most true neon polishes dry matte? It has something to do with the colors themselves, and not the polish formulation. Just swatched this one, it was the first thing to catch my eye. My manager described it as "maalat na itlog," aptly described, indeed. Wait for my next few Sinful Colors Summer Neon swatches!

Orly Rock Candy, 2 coats each (Php 349.75, 18ml)

And lastly, here's Orly Rock Candy. It's a really pretty duochrome, sheer, pearly white, with a lot of blues and greens. Way prettier in real life and especially when you can see the colors play under the sun. Up to now I still get a little confused with holos and duochromes. But Rock Candy is really pretty. I can imagine it over a white frosted shade for more of that pop; it can look a little bridal, too! Maybe I can try this again over another polish. I love this shade!

That's it for today, do wait for my Battle of the Balms post and my Sigma brush review and giveaway! Can't wait for that, and I'm still waiting for Tamera's giveaway package from the U.S. I'm worried it might have gotten lost or stolen. :( Fingers crossed!

FADAL Fashion Week After Party Event

2011-05-29T22:43:00.000+08:00

Long time no blog! First week of work is over and I’m loving it so far. Great new friends and officemates. Anyway, last Thursday Make Up Designory Manila (MUD Manila) and Temptu Pro Ph, both brands which Sprint Asia carry, sponsored the FADAL (Fashion Designers Alliance) Fashion Week After Party held at Bonifacio High Street, Seventh High. My first company event! Great make-up artists + great designers = successful event. A few photos by our photographer, Grandeur Gusto. See his Facebook page for the whole album.

Make Up Designory

Temptu Pro Philippines

MUD Manila with Angee Santos and Grandeur Gusto

The team

Me with Sprint Asia President, Paul L. Yap doing the Tim Yap pose (He's Tim Yap's cousin!)

Paul L. Yap with Marketing Manager, Donna Viola Andrada

My FOTN was by our Marketing Manager Donna Viola Andrada, who is also a professional make up artist. Products used were from MUD, our make up school in Pure Beauty, Serendra. Don’t you just love it? Check out MUD Manila's Facebook page if you want to enroll in classes! My nails were c/o Orly, Cashmere Cardigan and Spark, here are some nail swatches.

Orly Spark, 2 coats each, 18ml

Orly Cashmere Cardigan, 2 coats each, 18ml

Orly It's Up To Blue

Orly Spark and Cashmere Cardigan on my digits, and It's Up To Blue on my toes. Spark and Cashmere Cardigan are so nice, pastel colors. But our HR officer told me it looked like colored puto, and I didn't realize it until she said it! Anyway, Spark did not disappoint, most yellows are pretty sheer and streaky, but Spark's application was awesome. So were the other colors. It's Up To Blue does not do justice in photos. It's way prettier in real life, like an aquamarine blue.

A little disclaimer though, it doesn't mean that because I'm a part of the brand now that I'm biased. It really is high quality nail polish. Color range is awesome and application and consistency is perfect. I also appreciated their Patented Gripper Cap, which makes it easy to open especially if there are already sticky polish on the mouth of the bottles, so no problems whatsoever in terms of opening the polish and using it. It's ingenious!

Orly nail polish retails for Php 349.75 available at leading SM outlets, Watsons, Robinson's, PCX, Marionnaud. MUD is available in Pure Beauty, Serendra. Don't forget to like their Facebook pages!

More Orly swatches and the Battle of the Balms coming really soon!

NOTD: OPI Suede in Russian Navy

2011-05-23T23:03:00.000+08:00

OPI Suede in Russian Navy, 2 coats each

My NOTD for my first day of work which I got called out for because OPI is the "competition." Haha. I borrowed this from Leslie, RJ's sister. I really love OPI even if I don't own any yet. But I hope that I will love Orly more, since in a sense I'm already a little biased towards it because I work for the company that distributes and markets it here. But anyway, polish is polish, and being the lacquerhead that I am, I can't help but love them all.

I'm so in love with this shade. It's really, really pretty, especially in real life. Not your regular matte polish, it truly is a "suede" finish. Aptly named, OPI Suedes are shimmery mattes with a suede-like finish, and they're really pretty on the nails. Although it dries real quick, it also chips real quick too, just like your regular matte ones. So what I do is I put on thicker coats, or thin coats but more layers, then when it starts to show signs of chipping, it's nice to top it off with a top coat to prevent it from chipping. So it's like you're wearing a matte polish for a few days, then a glossy one after that. I've never tried it with the wrapping method though, maybe I should, hopefully it'll last the whole week without a chip.

That's my short swatch for the day. Wait for it, I'll be swatching Orly shades soon enough!

Nail Art: Purple Gradient

2011-05-16T22:06:00.000+08:00

I’ve been away quite a while. I was busy job hunting. But I finally found a nice enough job that I like. I start work on Monday, but I hate that I have Saturday office hours though, and the salary is a little low, but I think I’ll just grab some experience and leave in case I don’t like it. The good news is it’s Sprint Asia! I get employee discounts on all their beauty products. So yeah. At least I won’t be broke anymore, and I can’t wait to earn money for myself and keep myself busy.

So here’s a fun gradient I did last week, I recreated my previous purple gradient using some different colors this time.

First I used a pink base color. This is from Hollie’s giveaway, a pink Etude House nail polish in PK011, two coats each. I believe this line costs Php 50.00 only a bottle. Application was a little hard, probably because of the color, it came out a little streaky and patchy.

Next, I used my Wet n Wild Rock Solid in Mystic Quartz as a middle color. I used a sponge to apply it in order to create a gradual effect.

Then I used a third dark purple color – The Face Shop PP406, also using the sponge to apply it.

And finally, I used a glitter polish to finish it off. This is Crayon manicure nail polish in CMK1008. I bought this polish in Hong Kong for HKD 20.00. Only to find out that it was available in Watson’s Eastwood branch for only Php 98.00. I don’t know where it’s also available, but so far I only saw it in the Watsons in Eastwood. If you have seen this, please let me know!

I hope you can see the difference between the photos before I used the glitter polish, if you use a top coat, you can also see how the polish flattens to give that smooth gradient effect. Always use a top coat when you’re using the sponge method for gradients.

Hope you liked this fun gradient that I did. So far I think I only succeed in making gradients in purples, I don’t know why. Hopefully I can make gradients in other colors once my collection grows.

I’m also brewing up a really big post on lip balms. I plan on making a Battle of the Lip Balms post! So watch out for that.

Have you tried doing gradients with the sponge method? What color combinations do you suggest?

My Lipstick Collection

2011-05-08T00:19:00.000+08:00

I'm actually a lippie whore. I can live with just lip products alone, I think. I used to get obsessed with lip glosses and lip balms, but I've made the upgrade once I discovered the world of lipsticks. I think I have an oral fixation. I always have to have lip balm with me and I even apply it even if I don't feel chapped lips. Although lip balms will forever be a part of me, I've found the magic of lipsticks. Just wanted to show my ever-growing lipstick collection. I just can't buy more because of my lack of funds at the moment, and I'm scared that I won't be able to use them up before they get expired.

L-R: NYX lipsticks, Avon lipsticks, MAC lipstick

So far, these lippies make up my collection. Four NYX Round Lipsticks, five Avon lipsticks, and a MAC lipstick. I used to have another Avon lipstick, Ultra Moisture Rich in Sheer Nude, but I finished that off rather quickly. The reason why I have so many Avon lipsticks is because my boyfriend, RJ, used to sell Avon products for his class in Marketing, so I just bought a bunch of cosmetics from him, and bulk of it was just lipsticks.

Then I discovered the wonderful NYX round lipsticks and fell in love with them instantly. And lastly, my most coveted MAC lipstick in Pink Nouveau. I bought this in HK for a cheaper price, too, at HKD 135.00, since we have tons of taxes and some of the products here are so expensive.

On to the swatches and photos!

Sorry if they look wet and damp, it's because I keep them in the fridge so they won't melt, and so that they'll last longer. With the heat in our country it's hard for me to keep my lippies in room temperature, because this happens:

Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Mousse in Delicate Pink

They melt. So this happened to one of my really soft lipsticks. I now use a lip brush to apply this. It's because of the moisture that it becomes so soft that they melt and deform easily. So I just opt to keep them in the fridge. Right now during the summer mostly, because even my NYX and my MAC lippies tend to bead up when it gets just a little hot, so I decided to keep them in the ref to avoid it.

My other Avon lipsticks

Here are my other Avon lipsticks. What I like about Avon is that they keep having sales all the time, and their prices constantly change, so what I do is I wait for the lipstick to go on sale before ordering, and sometimes, the Avon lady also allows the sale price as well even if the current catalog does not specify it, so these mostly go for Php 249.00 or less, based on their sale prices.

From left to right: Smooth Minerals Lipstick in Crystal Coral, Mega Impact Lipstick in Fuchsia Fun, My Lip Miracle in Rosiest, Simply Pretty Shiny & Sheer Lipstick in Champagne.

What I noticed about Avon lipsticks are that they can be a little sheer, and the amount is less than the average lipstick. They are mostly weighed at 3 grams, sometimes 4, depending on the line.

L-R: Rosiest, Delicate Pink, Crystal Coral, Fuchsia Fun, Champagne

Next are my favorites, my HG (Holy Grail) lippies -- NYX Round Lipsticks. These are so pigmented and not drying at all. I've found that I'm actually a matte lippie person, and I love bright, pink lipsticks because they match my skin tone well. Love them!

L-R: NYX Narcissus, Paris, Doll, Perfect

These four are my own. My sister also has some other nice shades as well, like Thalia, Tea Rose, and Fig. I also want to buy Louisiana and Spellbound. I love pinks! These are pretty affordable too, they're Php 160.00 online, from the famous Digital Traincase, as compared to NYX in Pure Beauty Serendra, they retail at Php 299.00 and without the nice shades, too. My absolute most favorite is Paris. I think I'm almost halfway through it, I just love how it looks on me and how non-drying it is, plus it lasts pretty long too.

And then, I have my most coveted lipstick of all: MAC Pink Nouveau. I really fell in love with this shade ever since I saw it online. I think it's probably one of their bestsellers ever. My other two sisters have Blankety and Saint Germain. We each have one, bought together at HK. I can't wait to go back there and get some more! My only complaint for the Pink Nouveau is that it's really drying, so I have to really moisturize my lips beforehand, and from time to time as well.

MAC Pink Nouveau

I love my MAC lipstick. Can't wait to have more MAC goodies next time!

Satin Line, Pink Nouveau, B90

L-R: NYX Perfect, NYX Doll, NYX Paris, NYX Narcissus, MAC Pink Nouveau.

I'm definitely a pink lippie girl, and I'm a fan of matte and creamy lipsticks, no gloss or no frost for me. Maybe next time I can do a post with lip swatches too, perhaps when I update my collection once I buy more!

What about you? What's your favorite lipstick? Have you tried these? Are you a pink, red, or nude lippie girl?

Swatch & Review: Wet n Wild Mega Eyes in Venetian Violets

2011-05-03T17:03:00.001+08:00

I think I accidentally deleted the photos I took when this was still in its sealed state. I'm still going through Hollie's birthday giveaway winnings, and this time it's this eyeshadow trio from Wet n Wild in their Mega Eyes line. This palette is called Venetian Violets. I believe this has already been discontinued but I've seen this around eBay as well for a really affordable price.

I love the browbone, crease and eyelid etched into the palettes, a Wet n Wild signature.

It even comes with a mirror hidden below, perfect for traveling.

T-B: Browbone, Crease, Eyelid

L-R: eyelid, crease, browbone shades

These shades are quite pigmented but the eyelid shade is a little sheer, but buildable depending on your preference or occasion. It's perfect for daytime, in my opinion, and the violet shade is easy to use and blend, and it won't look like bruised at all, so it's pretty easy to use especially for beginners in eyeshadow application like me.

I really love Wet n Wild. I'm planning on getting their Coloricon Palettes as well, and I hear it is so great that it can be an HG drugstore eyeshadow. Wet n Wild definitely delivers in terms of affordability and quality at the same time, so I'm really planning on getting a lot of items from their counters, no questions asked. Although they are quite pricey here in the country, with the Coloricon Trios at Php 299.00 each.

All in all, I am loving this palette, even more than my Kanebo Media one! But the applicator that came with it is garbage, so I use my personal brushes instead. It was also hard to open at first, maybe from the packaging, so I'm hoping it loosens up a bit so I won't have to take the extra care in opening the lid because I'm scared that I might drop the palette.

Check out eBay and maybe you can still score this palette if they are still available. I saw that it also came in a green and a brown one, too.

Here's a quick run-down of the pros and cons.

Pros	Cons
Medium pigmentation Buildable Adaptable colors, great for any skintone Affordable Long lasting Great quality Compact, great for travel Well-known brand	Applicator is useless Hard to find, discontinued line

RATING: 4/5

Do you own any Wet n Wild eyeshadows? What do you think of it? Any recommendations or shade suggestions that I should get from their ColorIcon line?

NOTD: Wet n Wild Rock Solid 228A Mystic Quartz

2011-04-28T22:44:00.001+08:00

Here's part two of the Wet n Wild Rock Solid line. 228A Mystic Quartz. I was extremely productive today I decided to take photos of all my future posts so I won't be too lazy transferring them from my camera to the computer. No more excuses not to blog.

Wet n Wild Rock Solid 228A Mystic Quartz, 10ml

3 coats each, artificial light

Natural light

I think I might be wrong about the duochrome. I don't know how to describe this shade. It's kind of a pink purple frost with shimmer, like a glass-flecked finish. It even has tiny gold undertones to it, kind of like a rainbow quartz-y color. It's really pretty but it's quite sheer, I had to do three coats and there's still some tiny VNL there, but the color and application is totally awesome. I can already imagine this in a gradient. I'm a purple lover and this definitely is one of the best purples that I have, and it's not so common too, there's a gold-purple shine to it in real life.

I'm loving the Wet n Wild polishes! I hope I can get my hands on some more soon!

NOTD: Wet n Wild Rock Solid 229A Magic Amethyst

2011-04-27T22:52:00.003+08:00

Just going through my giveaway loot from Hollie's birthday giveaway a month ago. I literally have a lot of posts lined up to do but I don't know why I'm so lazy lately. I don't know if it's because of the heat or I'm just really too much of a bum to get around to it. I hope I can get out of this lazy rut soon enough when I finally find a decent job; I'm getting a little desperate.

Sorry if I'm all about NOTDs post after post, nail polish is really something that I don't get tired of, which is why I love doing my nails, and that is the reason why most of my posts are NOTDs. Not to worry, I definitely have some cosmetics swatches and reviews coming up very soon.

Today's nails are c/o Hollie's giveaway. This came as a surprise inside the package since it was never mentioned in the giveaway post that she did.

Wet n Wild Rock Solid Nail Lacquer, 10ml

229A Magic Amethyst

Top view

I personally love the bottle design! It has a diamond-ish design on the top and the bottle is a long shape making it really classy. The neck is also pretty long which is what I love about it, it's a cinch to use!

Wet n Wild Magic Amethyst, 2 coats each

I believe this line can't be seen in the Wet n Wild counters here, but perhaps the online world may have it. I love this color, it's a really bright, hot pink, which is why I'm a little confused with the name, since clearly, Amethyst is a purple or violet color in nature. Perhaps that's where the "magic" comes in.

It has a shimmer to it, kind of like a glass-flecked finish, if I'm not mistaken. Although there is still a little VNL (visible nail line) there, I don't mind. Maybe another coat more should do away with the VNL.

Actually, my mom was the first to use this, since I'm not really into pinks and shimmers right now, plus the fact that this is so her color, but seeing it on her looked really great and I thought that I'd try it out as well.

There's another Rock Solid line that I have that came together with the package, and it's sort of a duochrome purple, with a glass-flecked finish as well, called 228A Mystic Quartz. Probably like a rainbow quartz-y color. Watch out for that swatch too.

Lately, I've been dying to go on a make-up shopping spree. There are tons of drugstore makeup that I'm lemming for, I even made a list of the things that I should buy when I get around to having my own income. I am seriously so tired of being broke. Job hunting can be a little exhausting.

Well, that's it for today, hope you like my nails! What do you think of Wet n Wild nail polishes? Or just Wet n Wild in general? I personally love this brand! They never fail me.

P.S. My nails are longer now! :)

NOTD: Rainbow Skittles & Crackle Mani!

2011-04-21T17:54:00.003+08:00

CARONIA POLISHES - L-R: Summer Fling, Sun Kissed, Sweet Surprise, On the Go, First Crush

Today was the day I swatched the Caronia summer line entitled Sweet Bliss. I don't have the Baby Pink one because I decided to skip it since it was an old shade anyway and I didn't like it too much. I've been wanting to do a rainbow mani since forever and seeing people posting their summer nails made me a little jealous. I did this just now because I really plan on wearing it for a week, and I didn't want to go to job interviews with nail art on.

Anyway, I think my Caronia polishes have been sitting in my collection way too long and they were itching to be swatched.

Without further ado, my rainbow mani!

2 coats each

Pretty, pretty colors! I love pastels and colorful shades. It's the reason why I love nail polish so much because of my love for colors. This mani is also an homage to my blog title! Resplendent Rainbows - because I identify with rainbows so much.

Sorry for my wild cuticles, application was a little horrific with the yellow and orange ones, Sweet Surprise and Sun Kissed. They were streaky and patchy and all over the place. And formulation was a little thick. As I said, not really a fan of Caronia so these polishes disappointed me in terms of formulation and application, but I love it because of the colors! Their best collection so far, and I have to say, I thought they looked a little dull in the bottles, but it pops when applied! Completely satisfied in terms of color payoff. My favorites would have to be On the Go and First Crush, but the best would be Summer Fling, because of the flawless application, although the brush was a little hard to control.

What I like most about Sweet Surprise is it's not a creme entirely, if you look at it closely there's a subtle metallic shimmer in it. But streaky nonetheless. I find that yellows, greens, and oranges are the hardest to use, all of it seem streaky and sheer and hard to apply. But of course, I haven't tried the designer and expensive ones yet so I'm crossing my fingers for those.

One thing I also don't like about Caronia is how inconsistent their batches seem to be. One might find a color thick and chunky, but the other might not. And their brushes are a little on the cheap side as well. I seem to keep getting duds in terms of Caronia brushes.

Sweet Surprise Brush

I don't know if you can see it but there's a wild brush strand in there, and it made application even more horrific than normal. From my Caronia Black Velvet I found that the brush was a dud as well, the bristles were uneven and it really irritated me. But oh well, I guess you get what you pay for, but I think nowadays Caronia polishes don't come cheap anymore, priced at Php 30.00 each for the regular line. I think I might have to pay a visit to Divisoria to get a better bargain on these babies.

Now that I have my rainbow mani, I decided to play with my crackle polish that has been left untouched for more than a month already. I got this baby from my Hong Kong trip, as seen in my Hong Kong Haul post last month.

Tina Dark Angel Crackle Polish, HKD 59.00, TD 1023

I got this from a Japanese store in Hong Kong that sells all these nice goodies from Japan, I forgot where exactly, I think it was in APM mall, in Kwun Tong near my grandma's house, I'm not sure. I believe I got it for HKD 59.00, a little expensive but I think it's worth it. Based on the photos I think it's a lot similar to the OPI Black Shatter, but I can't tell for sure since I don't have the elusive Black Shatter.

Just like Black Shatter, Tina Dark Angel crackle dries matte. So right now it looks a little dull. Remind me to pack it on a little thicker next time so I get bigger cracks than this.

Tina Dark Angel crackle on top of Caronia summer shades

This crackle has a weird scent at first, kind of like paint, but after drying, it has a little perfumed scent I think, very subtle, and I can't stop smelling my nails.

So finally, I topped it off with my brand new top coat from BNC. Finally, a decent enough top coat that's not too expensive nor too cheap.

I love how the colors popped immediately after a coat of the BNC top coat. I heard a lot of raves about the BNC top coat, and I think I'm loving it! It's definitely shinier, and it dries fast, too!

It didn't crack as much as I hoped it would, because I wanted bigger cracks than this so I can see the colors below more. I needed a thicker coat so it would crack more. I need more practice with this crackle polish. So far, I love this Tina Dark Angel crackle, even better than the BK one, of course. But I wish I can get my hands on the China Glaze crackle line and even the OPI shatters. I wish I can own those designer polishes soon! Hope work opportunities come quickly, I desperately need a job now.

So that's my lazy day mani! A certified lacquer-addict, for sure.

Nail Tutorial: Wrapping Your Tips

2011-04-18T19:17:00.000+08:00

A week late for this tutorial, but I got preoccupied with fixing my lightbox first before anything else, plus, I wanted to do a rainbow skittles and crackle mani, but couldn't find the time since I didn't want to be wearing nail art during my job interviews, so I decided to put that off.

As promised, here is my nail tutorial on the wrapping method. This is to make your nail polish last longer, and I've seen just a few of these tutorials around, and apparently a lot of people don't know this method yet. Also, I've heard that nail techs actually do it in other countries, but not here in the Philippines.

So far, I've seen two different methods. First I want to apologize if my photos aren't too helpful, because I took photos by myself, and it was really hard to capture how I wanted it to look like especially since I didn't have any help with taking the pictures.

The point of all this is to have your nail polish last longer, especially on a mani. Basically, you don't just apply on the top of the nail, you also apply the polish on the tip of your nails, just along the edge. This helps tremendously because nail polish chip starting from the tips, especially from the wear and tear that happens when we keep bumping our nails and bruising the tips (e.g., texting or typing on the keyboard). So this is to prevent chipping from happening too quickly and helps keep your nail tips stronger as well.

WRAP YOUR TIPS - The reason why it's called wrapping your tips is because you actually put polish on the tip of your nails, kind of like wrapping your nails and not just applying on the top part of your nail.

Method #1: After nail polish application, hold the brush upside down at a 90-degree angle, and swipe just the edge of the nail.

Make sure that you keep just a thin coat of polish on the brush, so that there wouldn't be any beads of polish on the top of your nails. If you prefer, you may do it after the 2nd coat, or after each coat.

It's actually just that simple, taking the extra step to do this will definitely make your polish stay put for the whole week or even longer.

Method #2: Apply first coat as usual. After first coat dries, wrap your tips using the tip of the brush, as if you are applying a french tip but just keeping it at the edge of the nail.

There will be a bead of polish left on top of the nail.

While the bead of polish is still wet, apply your 2nd coat so that the bead will even out onto the 2nd coat. Apply top coat with wrapping method as well. And you're done.

Others like to do this after applying the first coat, while it is still wet, so that it will even out at once. You can do it whichever way you prefer as long as the tips are wrapped then you're good to go.

BEFORE & AFTER


UNWRAPPED TIPS

First 2 fingers on the left are wrapped (Index and Middle Finger)

I don't know if you can see the difference but you have to try it out for yourself so you can see how awesome it is. I took it out for a road test a few weeks ago, and I used one of my The Face Shop polishes since they are really notorious for chipping. I wrapped my tips on the left and normal application on the right, and you can really see the difference. I don't have photos, but after day 1 all of my fingers on my right hand chipped while the ones on my left stayed put, although it didn't really last for a week long, but that's remarkable already especially for TFS polishes.

Some additional tips:

Make sure you don't get any polish below your nail, but just at the edge for a clean look.
I think this can also work for those with shorter nails, or even nubbins, but it could become messy, so try applying Petroleum Jelly on your skin first so the polish won't stick to your skin.
If you're using a dark polish, you can wrap your tips with the base coat to lessen nail stains.
You can always first wrap the tip, and while it is wet, apply your nail polish, if you want just one coat of polish, so you can prevent having a bead of polish on top of your nail.
Don't forget to wrap your tips with the top coat, too!

I discovered this just recently, and I just wanted to share this amazing nail tip to all the lacquerheads out there. I hope my tutorial wasn't too hard to understand, and please, do share if you know of any other methods of wrapping as well.

Credits to All Lacquered Up, and The Polished Perfectionist for introducing me to the Nail Wrapping Method.

How do you wrap your tips? Will you consider trying it out or do you think it's too much of a hassle for you?

P.S. The nail polish I used here was Bobbie in Exactly Red.

NOTD: Caronia Black Velvet

2011-04-11T23:29:00.002+08:00

Caronia Black Velvet, 2 coats

Short NOTD post today! Surprisingly loved this polish, although formulation was thick. As said before, not really a fan of Caronia. It had a nice, glossy finish though, and I didn't put top coat anymore. I think I should invest in a good black polish, a staple in every collection. Perhaps something with a little shimmer to it, instead of a creme.

Recently I also learned a neat trick on how to keep polish on your nails longer. I've seen it around in some blogs but it's not too popular. Apparently nail techs use this method in other countries -- a nail secret. It's called the wrapping method; wrap your tips. Different people do it different ways, and I've seen just a few tutorials around. I decided to try the different methods and see which of them are better, and then I'm prepared to post a short tutorial on it! Excited!

Have you heard of the wrapping method? Do you wrap yours when you do your nails or you don't really bother since they last long enough for you? Personally I like to change often, so this isn't much but I think I would love to try this on polishes notorious for chipping, or if I like my polish so much, and I'm too busy, I want them to last the whole week long.

Review: Myra VitaGlow Tinted Facial Moisturizer

2011-04-09T00:39:00.000+08:00

Way overdue since I got my Myra gift pack from writing the Edgewise article. First, sorry about the dark photos, I'm still in the middle of setting up a "mini-studio" of sorts where I can take better photos, but I'm still trying to find a good place around the house, preferably under natural light.

Anyway, I just opened them the other day and tried them for a few days so I can do a complete review of the product. I believe these retail for Php 135.00, and that's amazingly affordable. Although I haven't really seen them in the malls.

I love the packaging. It looks so sleek and classy, and the plastic is sturdy too.

The tube packaging is awesome, hygienic and you can definitely save a lot since with these things usually a little goes a long way.

Left: Beige, Right: Ivory

I got two bottles, one of each of their shades, Ivory and Beige. Ivory is a little too light for my skin tone and a little too yellow, in my opinion. While Beige is definitely too dark for my shade, so maybe I can mix the two to get to that shade that's perfect for my skin.

What I liked most is that it has adequate coverage for a tinted moisturizer, because most of the ones I have tried don't really do much for me. Although, on the other hand, it's not moisturizing enough for my really dry skin, but I do always use it on top of my skincare routine no matter what product I use.

It's light and watery, so you can always opt for this if you don't want all that heavy and cakey feeling that foundation sometimes does especially if you're wearing it all day. It's also better to set it with a powder. I also liked that it contains SPF 15, perfect for day wear.

Now the thing that I don't like about it is the shimmer or glitter that it contains. I know it says WITH MINERALS on the packaging, but minerals don't necessarily mean shimmer. Plus, if you look at the ingredients list, it's a little bit scary since it contains the bad chemicals and no actual minerals in it. I have this issue with companies who put "with minerals" on their packaging (like Myra, and Maybelline, for example) but they are nowhere to be found in the ingredients list. I guess you just get what you pay for.

I hate the shimmer, even if it does add that extra glow to your face. On camera, it's not so flattering, especially with this one since it really has big shimmers in it, almost like there are glitters on your face. Personally, I prefer matte finishes especially with face products such as foundations or BB creams or tinted moisturizers.

Shake well before using to even out the color and to even out the shimmer distribution as well, so you don't get a huge chunk of it. Overall, the Myra Tinted Moisturizer is a great alternative especially for its cheap price, but I don't think I would purchase this personally. I think I would rather use other tinted moisturizers and even better, BB creams, because I don't really care much for it, especially the shimmers.

But if you're the type who likes the shimmers then you should go for this product. It's crazy cheap and it provides great coverage too.

P.S. I've been thinking of putting a rating system in place. Do you like rating systems so you don't have to read the whole review? Do you like pros and cons in bullet form or paragraph form? Let me know what you think.

Sigma

2011-04-08T17:49:00.000+08:00

Exciting news! Perhaps some of you may have noticed the Sigma banner below my header. It's because I've recently become a Sigma Affiliate. I also applied for their Incentive Rewards Program, and they've agreed on sending me an E25 Blending Brush to review, and also, here's the exciting part, to give away!

Sigma E25 Blending Eye Brush

"Oval-shaped brush with gently chiseled sides. Blends and softens the look of powder or cream shadows. Ideal to apply eye shadow primer, base eye shadow colors, and blend harsh lines."

The brush actually retails at $9, and their Make Me Up Kit for only $99, with a free gift when you purchase $30 or more.

SO EXCITING! They've recently shipped my item so it will probably arrive in about a month or two, so stay tuned for my review and for the giveaway guidelines. It's going to be my first ever giveaway, and I'm lucky to have Sigma sponsor it, even with the few followers that I have.

As I move up the rewards table and gain more followers, I can get more rewards from Sigma, so please do help me so I can have more reviews and even more giveaways as I get more goodies from them. This blending eye brush is going to be my first ever Sigma brush, and hopefully have more to come. Their Make Me Up Kit is absolutely to die for, and I've heard so many new things and great reviews on the quality of Sigma brushes.

Recently, Sigma has come up with a new line of eye palettes, and I'm also very excited to see, and hopefully get my hands on as well!

I am extremely happy that they support so many bloggers and provide so many avenues and opportunities for consumers to become a part of Sigma. Anyone can apply, and if you want to be a part of it, just send in an application.

Drugstore & Giveaway Haul!

2011-04-07T19:36:00.001+08:00

Blog posts are a little slow lately, but here's a really long post on my hauls!

Today was pretty uneventful, really. I was just bumming around the house as I usually am, while anticipating my giveaway packages. So far, I won three giveaways, the first one is still in transit all the way from the Land of the Free, while the giveaway from Shen's is yet to be announced how to claim the prizes. The other day Hollie texted me that she already posted my package via Air21, so I was waiting for that yesterday, but it never came. I hoped it would arrive today or I would have to give Air21 a call to track my package, anyway, we always receive packages at around 4 or 5 in the afternoon if it's from Air21. So I waited.

My mom and I went grocery shopping the other day, and I picked up the three new colors from the Caronia Sweet Bliss Summer Collection because I couldn't resist. I had seen them around since they came out, but didn't care much for them because they looked a little dull in the bottles. Don't get me wrong, they are bright colors, but I guess the lacquerhead in me wasn't too keen on how the colors weren't so bright enough from the bottle. Besides, I've said it time and again, I'm not really a fan of Caronia because they stain my nails so much.

So after a few days I saw that bloggers were raving about the Caronia shades, claiming that this was their best collection so far because of the pastel craze. While I agree, I didn't think that I would get it, but I did anyway, because I couldn't resist that everyone's posting about their colorful nails. Joanna from WhoaNails also did a review, and sad to say that I got turned off with the thickness of the formulation as she said in her post.

Long story short, I got the collection anyway because I couldn't resist. Besides, it was definitely cheaper than the usual polishes I buy so I thought, why not?

Drugstore Haul!

Here's my drugstore haul! I actually bought them at different times but what the heck. Top L-R: Bobbie Base Coat, Caronia Sweet Surprise, Caronia Summer Fling, Caronia First Crush, Caronia On The Go, Caronia Sun Kissed, Caronia Trance, Caronia Nail Polish Remover.

Bottom: Marionnaud Pointed Eyeshadow Brush, Slanted Eyeliner Brush + Spooly, and Concealer Brush.

Funny story on the Base Coat actually, I was supposed to buy a Top Coat, and Mom picked up the Caronia one, and I said, I think I want Bobbie better, so I got that, but when I got home I found out I got a wrong one. Funny thing is, when I went back today, I saw that the shelf was full of Bobbie Sheers, and not a base coat in sight. Weird and unlucky at the same time. Haha.

Anyway, Mom doesn't like cremes, so she picked up the Caronia Trance, and nail polish remover since all the girls in the house borrow all the nail stuff from me, all my nail necessities go out pretty fast.

Some of you may have noticed that I didn't get Baby Pink from the Caronia collection, it's because I recognized it was an old shade that I had a long time ago back when I was still starting out with nail polish, and I didn't care for it actually. It looked unflattering on me and made my skin darker, plus application was horror, so I decided to skip that.

Now that they've come back, I wonder, if formulation has improved. I decided to swatch a little bit of it in the store when no one was looking.

So now I'm a little unsure, pretty torn about this. Should I still get it to complete my collection or skip it? It might bother me too much eventually that I have to buy it. To those who own this shade, please do enlighten me.

So after my trip to SM Sta. Mesa to get the remaining two Caronia shades, I was hoping that Hollie's package had arrived, and when I went home, there it was sitting on the counter where all our mail is put. Although technically it's my third win, it's actually the first giveaway package I received! I was so excited but I had to compose myself since I wanted to take photos of the entire unpacking thing. Here's a quick photo montage of the whole unpacking process.

Air21 Package

Wrapped in Paper

Bubble Wrap

Plastic Wrapped

Individual Bubble Wraps for the glass ones

Finally unwrapped everything!

Nice little note from Hollie

Once again, thank you so much Hollie! For the awesome giveaway, and for taking the time and care to pack it neatly so nothing will get broken in transit. I love each and every single thing! If I'm not mistaken, the two other Wet n Wild polishes are extra surprises!

Things from Hollie's package:

ELF Stipple Brush
ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer
Kang Mei Shu Brush Set
2 Etude House Polishes
2 Wet n Wild Polishes
Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Trio in Venetian Violets
Wet n Wild Diamond Brilliance Lip Sheen
Wet n Wild Intuitive Blend Foundation + Primer
CoverGirl Clean Makeup Liquid Foundation in Buff Beige

Thanks again Hollie! If you're not following her then you should, she has a lot of great product reviews and bargain finds!

Now I have a ton of things to swatch and review. The list is getting longer and longer! Tomorrow, I have some exciting news for all of you with some swatches as well.

Hope you enjoyed this long haul post!

NOTD: The Face Shop BL606

2011-04-05T15:19:00.001+08:00

The Face Shop BL606, 2 coats each, with a top coat, indoors without flash

I painted my nails yesterday but I had to take them off because my top coat is so bad it bubbled up and the polish became so uneven it was so irritating. You can even see the bubbles on the photos, when it settled it was even worse. I've run out on my Sally Hansen and left with some cheap top coats from sets. I need to save up for a good top coat or get my hands on the BNC one as well.

Anyway, this one is a bright, fun, blue! It's perfect for Summer. I'm so into pastel colors right now I even want to buy the new Caronia summer collection! Right now, I'm still looking for a decent area around the house with nice enough lighting so I can take better photos of my swatches.

Lately it's been nail swatch after nail swatch, so I've decided my next few posts be about my other makeup products instead! I still have a lot of swatches and reviews lined up so stay tuned for those!

P.S. Can't wait to get my hands on my giveaway hauls! I keep waiting for packages to arrive whenever I hear someone knocking on our door. A little too excited?

Stylish Blogger Award and Giveaway WINS!

2011-04-03T23:07:00.002+08:00

To accept the Stylish Blogger Award there are some rules to follow:

Thank and link back to who gave you the award.
Share eight things about yourself.
Pass it along to eight other blogs that you’ve recently discovered and enjoyed.
Leave those bloggers a message telling them about their awards.

A little overdue but thank you very much Aya! My first blog award and I really appreciate it!

Eight things about myself:

I hate mint. Candies, whatever, minty, hate it.
Terribly reliant on my iPod Touch 2G. I'm so sad it's slowly becoming obsolete.
Love to read books. Also one of the reasons why I'm reliant on my iPod because I read on iBooks!
I tear up easily whenever I feel emotional. Not just sad emotional or anything, but when I feel enthusiastic or when I feel embarrassed I tend to tear up so quickly without meaning to.
100% Chinese descent, and proud of it. But I was born and raised in the Philippines, and I'm a Filipino at heart. :)
Street food addict. I love unhealthy food. And Pinoy food! Balut, Penoy, Isaw, Bulaklak, Betamax, Tenga, Balat, Kwek-kwek, you name it. Nothing is yucky for me.
Quite mature for my age, as I've been told, but I think I'm slowly catching up to my true age, as I get older each year. Haha.

So, there you have it, eight random things about myself that not everyone knows.

Eight notable blogs I'm passing this on to:

On another note, I won two more giveaways! How lucky. Lucky streak don't fail me!

Sakura Bella from Shen's Giveaway

Hollie's Birthday Giveaway!

Thank you so much Shen and Hollie! :)

NOTD: Revlon 420 Copperglaze Platinum

2011-03-29T16:46:00.001+08:00

Revlon 420 Copperglaze Platinum, HKD 35.00, 2 coats

NOTD update. This is a bright bronze copper color, called Copperglaze Platinum by Revlon. I'm liking Revlon polishes more. The brush is so easy to control and application is perfect. This color can seem a little streaky but it's okay, since the finish is frosted anyway. The bottle also has a long neck, which I like, I don't exactly know why, but I like it. I can't wait to try out other Revlon polishes. I want to try their Matte Suedes and their Cremes.

Maybe I can buy some when I find a job. I'm terribly unemployed and after all the rejections I've received I don't think I can take it anymore. I may be growing molds from loafing around the house all day, and literally, live like a pig (read: kain-tulog) Oh, well. Good luck to me finding a decent job. Hello, real world.

Down from the Hill

2011-03-27T16:39:00.004+08:00

After graduation, with my melted make-up and my proxy parents (My sister, and my boyfriend)

I graduated yesterday! I am now officially unemployed. My hair was styled by my sister while I instructed her how to do it because I couldn't do it by myself, while my make-up was made by myself. I love that they're all homemade! :)

Flower Side Bun

Good thing Ron told me it's better to wear my hair up, considering the weather and the heat of the Cov Courts as well. Plus, all the girls looked the same with their curled parlor hair.

Sorry about my bushy eyebrows, I'm growing them out so I can pay a visit to BrowHaus! I can't wait to groom them and make it soft-angled, the way I want them to be. No one seems to do it right.

I think I may have made my eyes a little uneven, I was hurrying so much because I wanted to arrive early in school because I thought it would be terribly traffic and hard to find parking spaces. Turns out we were early after all. My sister and my boyfriend accompanied me, because my parents couldn't go. I wore my Zara dress that I bought in HK, and Walker shoes I borrowed from my Mom.

It was definitely hot, what with the event being in the Covered Courts, my makeup may have disappeared a little, and my face was terribly oily afterward, but the UDPP stayed put. Thank God for working sisters! Haha, I plan on buying the Etude House Eye Primer as well. Can't wait to go make-up shopping!

After graduation my sister treated us to Mooters, a tiny resto-bar that her friend owns just along Julia Vargas. Their crispy dinuguan and their pork binangoonan are must try! Amazing. Plus their drinks are cheap too! Two thumbs up! Other graduation pictures on my Facebook. :)

So here's my first FOTD post. :)

Face:

Clinique MoistureSurge

MaryKay Balancing Moisturizer

Maybelline BB Cream

MaryKay Medium Coverage Liquid Foundation

MaryKay Signature Concealer

Elianto Hydrate Aqua Blusher

MaryKay Signature Blush

Clinique Superpowder

Eyes:

Nichido Auto Brow Liner

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow Duo in Strawberry Fudge

Kanebo Media Eyeshadow PU-1 (Highlighter)

Shu Uemura Eyeliner in Black

Etude House White Gel Eyeliner

Maybelline Volum' Express The Colossal Mascara

Lips:

EOS Lip Balm

MAC Prep + Prime Lip Primer

MAC Pink Nouveau

First Giveaway Win

2011-03-23T11:28:00.001+08:00

I finally won a giveaway! I've been joining these things left and right and this is my first giveaway win! How lucky!!! I AM SO EXCITED TO RECEIVE THIS HAUL. I hope I don't have to pay any taxes or anything. Click the photo to go to Tamera's blog, please check it out, she has some great fashion posts and videos!

NOTD: Revlon 907 Steel-her Heart

2011-03-20T23:52:00.003+08:00

I saw Joanna (Minolah) of Whoanails.com's comment on my Hong Kong Haul post telling me to get my lazy butt off and post some swatches already. Haha, I cleaned my nails yesterday and I planned on painting them today but I fell asleep this afternoon and only got around to painting them now.

I also don't like my short nails so I keep putting it off. I'm growing them longer again. Anyway, it's been a while, more than a week now of not painting my nails (can you imagine!) I'm surprised I didn't get any polish withdrawals. I was so lazy to clean my nails. Being a bum is rubbing off on me, I practically live and breathe my bed now.

On to the swatch!

Revlon 907 Steel-her Heart, 14.7ml, 35 HKD (around 200 Php), 2 coats

At first I kept looking at the bottom and wondering where the name of the shade was, and realized it was located on top!

It's my first Revlon polish, and I have to say that I love this shade! I love greys, and it's perfect for a break from all the pastels and bright cremes I've been swatching lately. I love this frosted steel color. Revlon is also Formaldehyde and Toluene-Free, and it doesn't have a strong smell, too! Although I have heard that Revlon polishes are known to get vicious terribly quick. I wonder if that's true.

For application, I have to say it took a little getting used to because Revlon has this thin brush. Drying time is quick too, and based on some salesladies I've heard that even if they have no more Top Speed collection, all their polishes are already quick-drying, and I agree, it dries quicker than the average polish. It doesn't need a top coat too, since it already has a shiny smooth finish.

I'm not really sure how quick Revlon polishes chip, but I'm guessing it stays pretty long. For this purpose I skipped the top coat just to see how it fares in the next few days. So far I am loving this, and I'm eyeing on those Matte Suede polishes they have here. The price difference is a little negligible, since Revlon polishes costs Php 225.00 in the country. I have another Revlon polish waiting to be swatched!

Have you tried Revlon polishes before? What do you think? Is it true that they get vicious really quick?

QUICK TIP I learned from Giang: After top coat application, wait for it to dry for a few minutes, and wash your hands with cold water and soap. It helps to seal in the polish and so that you won't nick it or get smudges afterward. It helps especially when you apply your polish before bedtime, so you won't have to worry about bed streaks! Cool, huh?

P.S. I'm finally getting out of the house tomorrow! I feel like I'm growing molds from loafing around the house all day. It's graduation week and I have a bunch of stuff to do this week!

Being Natural and Organic

2011-03-18T23:12:00.000+08:00

A good friend of mine, Mariel, taught me some useful stuff about cosmetics, she's a health buff and she says that reading health articles is one of her hobbies. Anyway, she knew a lot about ingredients and chemicals to avoid in cosmetics, and I asked her to teach me how to read ingredients and what I should look out for. So she referred me to the Human Heart Nature website.

They have a page on what top chemicals to avoid in cosmetics, and I just want to share this with my followers. I got this table from their website, you can click on the photo to go to their page.

I've heard about staying away from Parabens from her, too! I picked up the nearest item next to me, which was my Myra VitaMoisture Lip Balm, which I'll do a review on soon. It contains Propylparaben and Mineral Oil, and Paraffin, which according to this table, is really not good for the health. I also did some research and there really are chemicals to watch out for in cosmetics.

I know it's hard to be 100% organic, but I guess it pays to know more. Sometimes a brand that promotes natural and organic or mineral products don't really reflect in their ingredients. I'm not sure if I can really be ingredient-conscious about the products I use though. But I hope this information can be great help to you guys, too. If you know any more tips or brands that are safer and more natural, please do tell me about it! :)

Eyeshadow Palette and Shen's Addiction Giveaway

2011-03-16T16:27:00.001+08:00

It's my first eyeshadow swatch! I threw out the box that came with it, but it even had instructions on how to use the colors, for browbone, lid, and crease respectively.

Media is Kanebo's makeup line, relatively cheaper than their skin care products. I bought this trio palette in Hong Kong, for 63HKD, (around Php 350) and it's actually very affordable!

The shadows are quite pigmented and shimmery, especially the middle color for the lid. However, I find that the middle color is a little sheer in comparison to the other two. But quality is really great, for the price. I don't think it's available locally though, only in other Asian countries. I'm still playing around with the colors and maybe I can post a look next time!

On another note, Shen's Addiction is having her third anniversary giveaway! There are tons of products to win so make sure you head on over there and join her contest! :) Just click the photo below, or the badge on my sidebar.

Tagged and New Layout

2011-03-15T22:46:00.001+08:00

I changed my banner and fixed my layout. What do you think? You like? At least next time I can just change the banner every now and then if I feel like it. The pages are still empty, and I'm still fixing them and thinking of what I should put in the navigations.

Today was a boring day, was supposed to clean out the closet and move my wardrobe, especially from the huge haul I got from Hong Kong, but my laziness won over. I just loafed around all day staring at the computer and sitting around the couch and the bed. My poor bum life.

I've been tagged with this fun meme: Writings on the Wall. It's a handwriting meme, and I was tagged by both Aya and Hollie. Thanks girls!

Click to enlarge. Sorry for my bad handwriting! It's terribly inconsistent.

On another note, I've had Bloglovin' for some time now but neglected it, since I read my daily fix on Google Reader. Now I've fixed it up!

Follow my blog with bloglovin

No NOTD today! I'm so lazy to fix my nails but I'm excited to try out my new polishes! Stay tuned for my first eyeshadow palette swatch tomorrow!

P.S. Decided to make a sig for my posts. What do you think? :)

Hong Kong Haul

2011-03-14T20:37:00.000+08:00

I'm back! With a ton of items from my Hong Kong trip. My ID's fixed and what's left is claiming the ID itself and I'm officially a Hong Kong resident. I had a fun, tiring trip. No more shopping for the whole year. I've the most items compared to my Mom and Sis, excluding the Fruitips pasalubongs that everyone's going crazy over. More nail polish and make-up to swatch and review! I love Hong Kong!

Anyway, my blog is undergoing some reconstruction. Now that I have some time, I'll make a new banner and maybe a background and fix my codes around. My nails have chipped so bad I'm wondering if it's because I have a bad top coat. I think I better scrounge around for some new nail care products.

NOTD: The Face Shop Lavender PP408

2011-03-09T09:32:00.000+08:00

The Face Shop PP408, Php 95.00, 2-3 coats

Here's a quick NOTD post. I cut my nails yesterday! I got irritated with my long square nails scratching myself, and it's a little bother to type with those talons. Anyway, this is a lavender pastel, lilac color, a little sheer and a tad bit streaky. I had to use three coats to get it fully opaque. Application is okay, a little uneven at times but manageable.

Of course I used it immediately, it's one of The Face Shop polishes that I bought the other day. I'm using the blue one on my toes, watch out for it next time. I've been looking for this color in Elianto and Etude House and finally found it in The Face Shop Eastwood branch. It's similar to Etude House's PP903. Here's a bottle comparison, maybe I'll do a nail comparison when I get my hands on a new Etude House bottle.

L-R: The Face Shop PP408, Etude House PP903

As you can see, I've used up almost all of the Etude House polish because I've had a little accident with it a few nail art posts back, I don't think I can use it again for another mani. Right now I can't find them in the Etude House branches.

I'm leaving for Hong Kong in a while! So I had to clean my nails and do my mani and pedi beforehand or else I'll suffer withdrawals during my trip. Also one of the reasons I cut my nails short so I can be extremely comfy walking and shopping all day. Have to prepare myself again for the tiresome walking like my legs will fall off. I'm getting my HK ID fixed, approved for Right to Abode ID and just need an appearance, and soon my 14 day stay limit will be gone! I'm also a little excited to see my grandma!

I'll be back on Sunday! Hope I get a nice haul there, I'm looking to buy some Revlon and O.P.I. polishes, if they aren't too expensive. We'll see!

Cutex Instant Nail Whitener and Nail Polish Collection

2011-03-08T19:54:00.000+08:00

Cutex Instant Nail Whitener, 8ml, Php 209.75

From the brand that started it all - Cutex. I bought this late last January, used it for quite a while now, especially when I'm too lazy to clean my nails. I think I got fooled by this, I thought that my nails would whiten after I take them off, but I noticed it doesn't really. I got home and saw that it was "...to optically brighten both natural and acrylic nails." Doesn't matter though, it just needs a coat to make your nails white.

The only downside is the price, and the fat cap takes getting used to in terms of application. I love it anyhow, I think I'm starting to love Cutex now, what with their nail colors and wonderful nail care products, even boasts of 3-Free and their witty color names just like O.P.I. At least now I can wear my nails bare for a cleaner look. My nails are so yellow that I get annoyed with them sometimes.

So the other day Mom bought a drawer for me for my nail polish thingies, and I love it. I was looking at the Helmer from Ikea, I've heard so many good things about it by lacquer-heads out there, and it's definitely going into my wishlist. It's expensive though, but I'm sure it's going to be a great buy and investment for a lacquer-head like me. Some photos below of my ever-growing nail polish collection.

Keyway W-4, Php 599.00, SM Department Store

It comes in different types, there are big drawers and small ones, and it's stackable too. So in the future when I fill this up I can just buy another one and stack them up. Well for sure I'm gonna fill this up quickly. For now I separated my polishes into two drawers, reds and purples in one, and blues, greens and others. For the other two below, I put in my nail care stuff, nail art tools, and nail polish remover and everything else.

Yellow NOTD and Haul

2011-03-07T18:45:00.000+08:00

Elianto Yellow, Php 98.00, on top of 1 coat white polish, 2-3 coats each.

A bright, bright yellow - perfect. It also has a metallic undertone making it really nice and bright. The catch is it's so sheer and streaky, application is horror. I used it on top of a white polish to get it bright and opaque. It's still streaky though, and it's so hard to apply I only did it on one hand. It's so hard to find a nice yellow and a nice emerald polish. I guess it's time to look at those expensive polishes.

Today, I went to Eastwood to meet with Mina and got my Myra gift pack from the Edgewise article I wrote. She's so nice and even signed my book for me! Thanks Mina! It was so nice to meet you! So since I was in the area, my sister asked me to check out the Eastwood Mall for the Lock & Lock store. But I saw The Face Shop too, and ended up buying two more polishes to add to my collection. Napagastos pa! Their colors were complete and I was so glad to see their nail polishes I couldn't resist.

Myra gift pack, and Face Shop nail polish

Wait for my reviews and swatches for these items! Oh, and see that short drawer in the background? That's my new nail polish drawer! My mom bought it for me yesterday. Wait for my next post about my nail polish collection and the Cutex Nail Whitener review.

Finally, here's the book I reviewed a few posts back: No Strings Attached by Mina Esguerra. She's my newfound favorite Filipino author. Thanks again, Mina! :)

Matte

2011-03-05T17:53:00.000+08:00

Grades are out and my grades are a bit blah. Mediocrity. Oh well, I'm graduating! Hope I land a nice job that I like. Here's a nail swatch for today.

BK Nail Polish Matte #03, 15ml, Php 150 in Nail Up Kiosks

What I like about mattes is I can always use them when I'm feeling lazy. It dries really fast and there's no need for a top coat. The downside is it gets really vicious really fast as well. I particularly don't like this BK polish, it's not so matte-y and the finish isn't so great. Application is ok but the color I'm not such a fan of. The price is okay too, however I still prefer the Orly and O.P.I. ones of course. I won't buy it again, I guess I'll stick to the glitter polishes and bright cremes from Nail Up.

On another note, I'm picking up my writer fee on Monday and my new Myra gift pack from the article I wrote for Edgewise. Then I'm going shopping with my sister. I'm on the hunt for a nice eyeshadow quad or trio, and a set of nice affordable brushes to get me by until I can afford a better set. Plus I'm on the line up for a job that I really want. I don't care much for the relatively low pay, but I don't care. I really hope I can get the job. I don't want to jinx it just yet. Wish me luck!