What rocks this nationwide (Philippines only) UK beauty giveaway is it is a leap forward into spring (globally niweiz), it will blind you with coral pink, and frankly these bits of beauty aren’t readily available in retail here. I still haven’t made up my mind on whether I should sneak in past all of you and join in myself under an alias LOL (I kid alright).

LOVELY LOOT:

• Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Body Scrub 250ml £8.00
• L’Oreal Elnett Hairspray (Extra Strength) travel size 75ml £2.39
• Jo Malone Travel Candle(Lime Basil & Mandarin) 60g £22.00
• Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer (Stellar) 5.5ml £5.99
• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, (Medium3 /MAC NC30) £4.19
• Maybelline SuperStay 14-hr Lipstick (Stay With Me Coral)
• L’Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara WP (Black) £10.99
• Givenchy Bloom Compact Mirror, w/ red velvet sleeve (gift w/ purchase)

All this stuff is seriously soooo hard to give away. To join simply follow the instructions given by the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post, there are 3 required actions and 1 bonus action for more entry points. In the meantime click Read More to jump to close-up photos of the prizes and what I know about the praises sung of them. The trivia about a couple of these is quite compelling. The Rafflecopter mechanics follow immediately after.

Just looking at these photos makes me smell AND see the blooming freshness of spring already!

This Soap and Glory Pulp Friction Body Scrub with notes of fig, orange, yuzu and pomelo smells yum but cleanly fragrant at the same time. It’s the partner scrub of their Foam Call body wash. I heard about this scent from Anna of “Vivianna Does Makeup”. She was originally talking loads about the Foam Call body wash which has the same fragrance notes. L’Oreal Elnett is the hairspray of high fashion biggies and celebrities alike…what it’s known for abroad is “brushable” hair hold and it keeps hair where you need it without looking like you’ve got hairspray on. The only con about it is the smell is strong for some people, I tried to find the new fragrance-free version but there wasn’t a travel size of it. I read a proper explanation about this mainstay spray from its feature here on bigtime beauty blog ITG (Into the Gloss).

Now, what’s with the candle? Jo Malone London is the Briton answer to Diptyque which is one of their direct competitors. Jo Malone has everything scented from candles to colognes, advanced skincare and bath & body products. On the Royal Wedding Day, reportedly, Kate, now the Duchess of Cambridge, had personally requested a selection of Jo Malone candles to fill the Abbey with fragrance, including Jo Malone’s bestselling Lime Mandarin & Basil candles, yup that’s one single scent but they said she also combined Grapefruit candles to layer fragrances in the Abbey. For lashes L’Oreal False Lash Telescopic is model Ruth Crilly’s staple mascara (A Model Recommends) and it’s currently mine as well. This is the UK titled same mascara as my L’Oreal Shocking Extensions Telescopic Mascara from the US, the waterproof version gives beautiful definition (both volume and length), won’t smudge and holds curl so well. It’s everything I want in a mascara.

The Maybelline 14-hr longwear lipstick, a completely creme matte range, was somewhat of a dark horse drugstore product until Lisa Eldridge practically waxed poetic over the matte shades Stay With Me Coral and Non-Stop Red in her Ultimate Guide to Red Lipsticks video here. The shade I’m giving up (huhu…haha I have my own of course) is Stay With Me Coral which is the first bright coral lipstick that doesn’t make me look like a clown, it’s a warm bright pink and the range smells like raspberry gummi bears. It stays on grandly without completely drying out my lips or making them peel but to be safe I still recommend hydrating your lips overnight with a rich balm before using this the next day. Next up we’ve got Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer (which I saw on FleurDeForce’s channel)… this in particular is having its moment of glory currently as a top drugstore liquid lipstick. I did, however, review something similar by Careline locally, you might want to check those out (they even smell the same, that synthetic watermelon note). Although Rimmel Apocalips isn’t as longwearing as I’d hoped (4-5 hours max) the colors go on strong and fade later on beautifully and this bright coral fuschia shade, “Stellar”, is actually quite…stellar. Last but NOT AT ALL the least is Collection’s Lasting Perfection Concealer which has been raved on by at least a billion (I exaggerate) beauty bloggers in Europe online. The Lasting Perfection shade Medium 3 which matches MAC NC30, is the shade I got and it is the most exact liquid concealer shade I have ever owned. This, my friends, is the first drugstore product I’ve encountered with this much hype that ACTUALLY delivers following every good word every person has ever had to say about it. It just works…it goes on creamy then dries semi-matte to matte, it covers the under-eye area, spots, and everywhere else fabulously and doesn’t get cake-y on me. I also picked up on how good this was first from Fleur as she mentioned it repeatedly through monthly favorites and also in her Best of Beauty 2012 video. I just can’t say enough about it and the fact that it’s only £4.20 (Php270.00) per tube is a blessing. For most of my time in Europe I was only wearing this concealer and pressed powder on top. There are only4 shades and mine, Medium 3 is the second to the darkest. The darkest is Deep 4 (probably an NC40 match) and it was sold out at the time when I looked in both Boots in Dublin and UK.

As a simple, spring bonus I’m also including this super pretty Givenchy Bloom compact mirror. It’s a gift of goodwill for me because the Filipino sales assistant in a Dutyfree I purchased perfumes from was so happy to encounter a fellow Filipino that he gave me not just one but two of these lovely mirrors and they feel heavy, seem to be made of steel with enamel, and snap firmly with magnetized lids. It has a regular and magnifying mirror on either lid and also comes with a red velvet sleeve for classy safekeeping. So that’s it for all the loot folks, now you know what you could be winning so now is the time to KEEP CALM AND JOIN I love you guys! From May to you… haha…haha.

One of the brands I was way too excited to get my hands on in London was Soap & Glory a beauty range that actually looks like a bath & body first cousin of Benefit Cosmetics…they’re not related though. These guys do bath and body like nobody’s business.  They do an excellent blend of clean and gourmande scents with a balance that’s uniquely hard to come by.  This Sugar Crush Body Scrub seriously does not smell sickeningly sweet to me…it’s a yummy, tart sort of sweet.  It makes me think of those sweet cola jelly bottles with a zesty dash of tart lime.

I made a mad dash for this at the Soap & Glory shelf and contemplated getting this or the body wash.  I thought having the scrub which is more “touchworthy” in experience would set me off better the first time around. It’s got moisturizing and smoothing almond oil which I fully believe in aside from the scrubby bits of brown sugar and macadamia grains. The better way to use this so you get a thorough scrub and don’t waste product is to not have the shower running while applying this. Slather it on and rub generously…it isn’t painfully abrasive but it’s abrasive enough to be your smooth operator. As you will see in a bit I soooo needed this scrub right now as I delightfully thumb-type this from Norway. For a moment for truth’s sake, let me show you the semi-disgusting reason why I’m ever so glad I bought this when I did (believe me this was the compromise…showing my leggings instead of my scaly legs).

Don’t.judge.me…lol, and I have been bathing don’t you dare suggest that I wasn’t! What you’re seeing right there are my leggings having been pulled inside out so you can probably guess in what sort of state my lower legs were…it was not a pretty sight. I’d been faithful in moisturizing my face and hands here in Europe but I’m afraid I can’t say the same for my body. I used the scrub 2 nights ago and it set me straight for a day and a half but coming to Norway really dried up my legs again so it was time to convene with this star find once more.

“Use in the shower once, twice, or three times weekly, depending on the level of scaliness you struggle with. (Four times-even-if you’ve ever been labelled ‘old lizard legs’.)”

Two hours ago I used the Sugar Crush Body Scrub on damp legs with my feet in warm water sitting on the side of a hotel tub. It’s best on legs that aren’t too wet so the dense thick pasty consistency with the grains can exfoliate to the fullest. Whats lovely is you don’t just get the physical exfoliation…the almond and lime oil just makes the job a smooth, moisturizing, and nourishing experience and once you rinse your legs off you get a soft supple feeling that suggests no lotion required…but because we’re in a really dry country I still finished off my legs with my fave Nivea Baby Smoothy Cream which you can get in Manila. However you could walk out the door without doing so…because this is just a really fantastic scrub that moisturizes and doesn’t just exfoliate. Love this stuff.

I have this on now. I smell the supremely nostalgic salty and fruity warmth of the shore. I am transported.  Wish you were here.

In the heat of a Greek summer, “to get to the sea,” recalls Yves, “you had to walk through a natural orchard of wild fig trees.” Returning from Paris, Desmond brought back a few leaves of these trees in a little box. Years later, the leaves had lost none of their fragrance. Philosykos, which in Greek means “friend of the fig tree,” is an ode to the entire tree: the green, pungent freshness of the leaves, the wood warmed in the sun, the milky flavor of the fruit.

I first experienced the Diptyque Philosykos scent in a beauty boutique in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Caught up suddenly in a waft of throwbacks memories resurfaced (like the moment in Ratatouille where the food critic tastes it) of my childhood summers spent at my paternal grandmother’s Guimaras beach home. It recalls warm fruit (which would be the fig), hints of grass, rolling waves and the salty sweetness of a sea breeze blown through beach trees.

Although the perfume notes are Mediterranean the memories this cologne drew out were remotely Filipino. It was for me the very first time a scent got personal and Mom’s eyes widened with nostalgia, too, upon one whiff. Love at first sniff ♥ This is the 50ml Eau de Toilette bottle mom got for me in Hong Kong late last year at the boutique in IFC mall for about Php3800-Php4000 or about USD$88. Diptyque scents are also sold in Rustan’s locally I’m just not 100% sure if they stock Philosykos.

Don’t you just hate it when sometimes fragrance brands do “fruity” versions of an existing scent for the younger bracket?  I have nothing against fruity if it’s done uniquely and memorably well but sometimes it takes all the sophistication and spirit out of what could be something better.  I was really hoping with all my might that Burberry Body Tender was not a very fruity spin off.  Not everyone younger wants a fruity version, more often than not they just want something they can spray on everyday that doesn’t shout “formal dinner” but isn’t just plain body spray or cologne either.  I was invited to the Burberry Body Tender launch yesterday at SM Makati and had a lovely time with some blogger friends I hadn’t seen for awhile and that was where they unveiled this.

Amidst offerings of scented ribbons, sparkling drinks, macarons and pink lemonade Burberry released its younger, clean and captivating scent, Burberry Body Tender. The original Burberry Body scent was launched last year and I’ll be honest when I say I have not sniffed that original release.  Friends at this launch mentioned it was deeper and more intense than this one. So Burberry Body Tender which is supposedly a more gentle spin off from the original is actually my first Burberry Body Scent and you know what?  I like it, I like it a lot

It’s not at all a heavy fragrance though I can’t say the same for the bottle, lol, which is beautiful by the way, and this scent…it certainly lasts.  I could smell it on me hours later even as I lay in bed last night. Is it floral upon first whiff? Mmmm…I’m not an expert but TO ME it’s like a soapy floral with an underlying sweet but barely fruity note.

“Burberry Body Tender is inspired by the freshness of youth, energy, hope, excitement, natural beauty, radiance, the English morning dew, English roses.”

Top Notes:   fresh surge of lemon, crisp apple and green absinth

Heart Notes:  a delicate blend of light rose, white jasmine and sandalwood

Base Notes:  a soft base of cashmeran, amber and musk

It’s very feminine but not at all corny. It’s a quintessential day scent that I sense can nab a few 2nd glances for you. The bottle actually looks like it carries one dose of the fountain of youth which can turn you into Cara Delevigne with one swig lol. I wish I had a parfum version of this, it’s a complete head turner. Burberry Body Tender is available from Burberry boutiques and counters in leading department stores nationwide at these prices as per product size.

• 85ml:  P4,898
• 60ml:  P3,898
• 35ml:  P2,898

I’ve really got some sort of online hangover, it’s not that I don’t enjoy the net anymore, please, don’t think that AT ALL…I sooo love doing this.  I actually love that I’m typing this now because no sense in pretending I’m a product post factory, right?  Honesty is good stuff and deserves posting when appropriate.  I just noticed that I’ve been get sleepy earlier ever since my best friend cousin’s wedding last February.  I think it’s really the massive “sigh” after something major more than anything else.  I put in a lot emotionally on that one because it really meant so much to me…and now..we’re back.  In the bath and body department, Haus of Gloi power couple Matt and Briton have “dunnit” again in their secret vegan lab of delight.  My friends, you are not looking at dessert.  Behold their new babies (please note: not for eating) their dinky, scent filled, glam-ly gourmande scented Butterbombs.

“Toss these little scoops in hot bath water for a fizzy, slightly foamy and decadently moisturizing bath. Crumble under running bath water for best results! Please be cautious when moving around or standing in the tub, these little bombs can make things slippery!” – Haus of Gloi

From Top:

1. TOASTED – “Reminiscent of warm milk, aromatic rice and burnt sugar. “
2. A SIMPLE ROSE – “Bulgarian rose absolute supported by Egyptian geranium in a base of amyris wood.”
3. WHITE BLUEBERRY – “Blueberries awash with white vanilla sugar, cream and a sprig of white thyme.”
4. SEA SALT BROWNIES – “Dark chocolate brownie accord with supporting notes of cocoa c02, a gentle touch of coffee co2 and speckled with sea salt.”

To be honest, this first time I am mildly disappointed with these Butterbombs because I was so excited about them  and I’ve never experienced anything lacking from a Haus of Gloi purchase.  I have no complaints about the scent experience or the aromatherapy end on these butterbombs, in the smell department these guys at HOG do no wrong practically ever.  Read more to know about my experience and why I prefer HOG’s bubbling scrubs over these.

Please note that these won’t fill your bath with bubbles or supply soap that will clean you…but they do release extremely relaxing yummy scents for your bath.

Butterbombs do supply some hydration for the body, if you’ve got dryness across the board soaking in this longer than 30 mins might help some, I felt my normal skin absorb the essential oils once I carefully lifted myself from the bath and even after rinsing.  They sort of softly lather up in the water releasing essential oils and that is what you will see right away like in the above picture.   I also got 2 of the Bubbling Scrubs from the Valentine collection, I picked up Something Hopeful and Odette.  My favorite is Something Hopeful which is a tender Asian floral scented scrub, Odette is a little more grown-up but still gentle as well.  Now, get this, I’ve loved every single thing I’ve tried that Haus of Gloi has put out, especially, MOST especially their Bubbling Scrubs.  They’re just a complete exfoliating, lathering delight with every new release and my mom has her heart completely set on their Yuletide scent, Hearth, which she’s gutted about since it’s only available during the holiday season.  Mom hasn’t stopped raving about the Hearth Bubbling Scrub, she’s actually taken the time to go over to me and say “This Hearth is really so bango (wonderfully scented) …smell me…”.  However when it comes to Butterbombs I don’t have as much to rave about apart from the amazing scent profiles.  My recommendation to improve the experience of a Butterbomb is to find an accompanying Bubble Scrub in a scent that complements the Butterbomb you soak in.  The bubbling scrubs will lather and get you clean, you can use one  in the middle of your bath process right after the butterbomb action to actually get clean.

1. SOMETHING HOPEFUL – Perhaps the first stirrings of the spring to come. Warm sakura blossom green tea with the tiniest droplet of plum juice, red mandarin and crystallized jasmine essence.
2. ODETTE – Clean sun dried linens, tuberose, ginger lily and white musk.

What I noticed is that Butterbombs froth up rather than “fizz”  in contrast to the LUSH bath bombs which really FIZZ and do all sorts of action you can actually see and hear.  That Toasted one I dropped into the tub acted like a wimpy but live cappuccino, nothing huge, but the aroma just changed the game of tub time still, I’ve gotta say.  For me, I still love how HOG do their scents.  Just two things…for one I wished these Butterbombs were bigger like AT LEAST double the size because I do not feel like one of these, roughly the equivalent of  2 tbsps., is enough to charge my bathtub nor excite me, and two, that they try to orchestrate how it “behaves” more in the tub.  So after dropping in a Toasted Butterbomb I followed with a second one about 15 minutes later, Sea Salt Brownies, which was also a dessert scent that complemented toasted simply because I didn’t feel one did enough.  When it comes to baths for me it’s bring on the bubbles and the action or go home.  I wanna SEE or FEEL an effect when I drop it in not just smell great after filling a huge tub with water and steeping myself for ages in it.  These Butterbombs, as fond of looking at and smelling them as I am, were I felt whispers of something that should have been louder and more memorable.  I’m hopeful for a revamp on these, because even if they didn’t impress the first time I still find these Butterbombs charming and lovely to smell for the price of $3.50 each.  I order directly from the Haus of Gloi Website and pay shipping plus Php40 for tax from the Makati post office when I pick up my purchases as standard parcels.  As long as it’s just about 4-5 items, the couple make sure to do all they can to make it fit into one box, I pay reasonable shipping and wait 3 weeks for my order to arrive from the US.  For me the HOG bubbling scrubs turn out to be more worth the wait.  Like Haus of Gloi on Facebook for more updates and information.