Beauty and the Best | Plus a Birthday

Once upon a time, ages ago…I set foot in a jungle called U.P. Diliman as a Fine Arts freshman, naturally, I was somewhat clueless on the first day of school.   One of the first friends I made on that day in 1999 in search of blockmates was Mark Nicdao.  We trekked on foot to find and join up with blockmates (and find food lol).  It felt like the WWII D-day drop in Diliman after the welcome blast, “paratroopers” aka students were broken up from different blocks trying to find each other.  I also happened to have a cousin named KC who was being labeled the industry’s freshest IT girl a year or so into my college stay. 

Mark decided to leave college after 2nd year and found himself apprenticing for photography then discovering that this was his true calling making him the best and most in-demand portrait and commercial style photographer in the country today. He mentioned here and there to me that he sooo wanted to meet KC. Although their encounter did not singlehandedly happen ‘coz of me the rest is art history. It’s KC’s birthday today so Mark and I last night already wished her all the best. He had come over to bring her a birthday gift.

At a lovely and delicious impromptu dinner at Chef Jessie’s in Rockwell Club (I recommend the Duck L’Orange), KC blew her birthday candles among family. I said it in Instagram and I’ll say it again. I thank God for my gift of a cousin who has the best years of her life right before her. ” I Love You, KC! Happy Birthday and Carpe Diem.

Diptyque Philosykos | My 2013 Summer Scent

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.

K-Palette’s NEW 1Day Tattoo Automatic Pencil Eyeliner

I actually don’t really get why I haven’t done proper individual reviews for K-palette items because I use them to every liquid pen’s death, both for eyes and brows.  It just occurred to me that I’ve repeatedly thrown the 1Day Tattoo brow and liquid  eyeliners into a handful of favorites and what’s-in-my-travel-bag posts but there hasn’t been a day when I’ve given them the individual spotlight…I was too busy well…using them LOL.  Well, today is still not the day (even though I’ve been sent the new formula) only because a K-Palette newborn is still grabbing my attention.  Say hello to the 1Day Tattoo Automatic Pencil Eyeliners, now available for Php795 at Beauty Bar!  Hats off to you guys these nibs say.  I got so excited when these arrived that I opened them and swatched them immediately the evening I got them, but I did shoot the stuff for this post just this morning.

What’s lovely about these pencils are 1 they are automatic so no sharpening required, and the small nibs ensure no matter how far down you go you can always still draw nearly sharp flicks, 2 They go on smoothly dark, not drag-gy like some cheaper longwearing eyeliners, and 3 They set waterproof but give you a window of about 15 seconds to smudge them if you like before they set!  They’re also way more easy to smudge in the first few seconds than the standard gel pencil liners most of which give yucky blend quality, not these, though.

What I like about working with supreme makeup pencil products like these is they’re more forgiving for the less skilled lining hand, maybe for some of you who hate working with liquid liner.    This makes it especially easy when doing seemingly impossible flicks on hooded eyes like mine.  Read more for extra photos, details, and the professional video tutorial I referred to online in order to achieve this feline cat look.

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Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick, PK303 Pink Mesa

There’s a tidal wave of automatic lipstick crayons surging through the beauty blogosphere at the moment, all but one are spin-offs (come on, we know that).  I’d like to own a nice sturdy, fat lipstick crayon someday just to see…but, sometimes still…well, I don’t know.  To me there’s something still immensely chic, iconic, and quite grown-up (never old) about classic, creamy lipstick in a bullet and I can’t seem to get enough nude mauve shades on board.

“Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick, created by Dick Page for Shiseido, fuses powerful skincare with cutting-edge color technologies to create the ultimate lipstick. You will fall in love with the clear, true color and rich, full-looking finish that make these luscious shades unique.  Driven by the advanced technology of Dual Optimizing Powder, Ultra-Fine Satin Smooth Pearl, and Super Hydro-Wrap Vitalizing DE, each radiant shade gives lips lustrous, all-day moisture and a protective veil that actually improves texture.”

Think of a beige that’s been spiked with a rose undertone and that’s what you have with PK303 or Pink Mesa, which costs between Php1100-1250 locally (I’ll clear up pricing with them).  Shiseido’s Perfect Rouge lipstick in PK303 or Pink Mesa is an absolutely wearable nude mauve.  It might not be the most exciting color ever, but it’s elegant and no one will ever debate with me to question how wearable it is, because it is super wearable.  It’s a keeper and a Shiseido lipstick case as sleek as this just amps up any evening bag or purse on you.   I’m guessing Perfect Rouge is kind of like the Shiseido counterpart to the Dior Addict lipstick range.  The lipstick, even with a moist feel, doesn’t migrate outside the lip edge too easily.  It won’t make a mess  if you eat or drink, but you will need to top up afterwards.  You get rich, medium to full intensity pigment in a classic, creamy, moist texture which softly highlights the lips without glossing them over.  I’m guessing that in Western countries, where the climate is loads less humid or quite dry, you’d probably get exquisite adherence and more longevity out of this without losing softness.

I chose this after the Shiseido Workshop I did (which I will blog about soon).  This shade PK303 I think would suit skin shades from a MAC NC30 down to an medium NC40 at most.  Just a note, in real life this shade is just slightly warmer.  I think my screen is playing tricks with me, the lipstick looks a bit cooler here (not by much) but my skintone is correct.  I brightened the scene because it was kind of dark at home earlier.  I spread my L’Oreal Magic Lucent foundation across my lips before lipstick application to counteract the strong deep color of my natural lips (which often interferes with paler lipstick shades) and doing that helped the lipstick shade take more of the limelight.  I used the lipstick straight from the bullet, no lipliner.  Shiseido Perfect Rouge in PK303 Pink Mesa is marked online as a NEW shade.  Check out your local Shiseido Counter or boutique if you’d like to try it on.

*press sample provided by brand for review

My NARS “And God Created the Woman” Eye Kit | Nifty Neutrals in a Helpfully Small Size

Never have I come across a neutral makeup palette set so appropriately named and wonderfully petite.  There are two matte shades (one good for brows), two satin metallic shades (one to highlight), and 2 richly dark shimmer spiked shades.  The title basically also evokes “Naked” in 5 words.  It comes with one #3 soft blending brush and the cherry on top is the NARS Pro Prime Eyeshadow Base, a favorite among the world’s top makeup pros which Lisa Eldridge also likes using.  It could have also been called the Half-Naked palette, it has less fallout than Urban Decay’s Naked eyeshadow range and there are half the number of shades.  I think Eve would have approved.

Mom picked up this NARS palette for me via Duty Free shopping in Thailand, she converted the cost and said it amounted to about Php2400-2500.  I think what makes it worth the 2k mark is the brush and NARS Pro-prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base that comes with it.  So many people love this eyelid primer.  What also never fails to impress me about NARS stuff is they always include a good mirror, even for their single eyeshadows and blushes.  This palette is tiny, it’s about 2″ x 4.5″ inches in size, similar to the size of an iPhone 4s but slimmer and lighter.

The “And God Created the Woman Kit” has a very wearable selection of shades and I did my brows using the middle shade from the 2nd row (.  Read more to get the complete shade names and details about how I progressed to this evening look beginning with a daytime version using only 2 shades.

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Maui Island Secret Browning Oil – Will Knock Your Socks Off

Sooooo…yeah, another tanning oil for you, but please know that when I feature something somewhat redundant it just means I was blown away.  Some guests who were common friends arrived at the resort I’m currently at and one of them, a lovely lady named Sunday, planted herself by me on shore as I was tanning.  She had an arsenal of tanning oils at her disposal and she ever so randomly planted  herself beside me (also probly’ coz my mother headlined my tanning quest) offered one of them and said if I recall correctly (don’t match me per word) “Have you tried this one?  Ito daw talaga ang the best.  It’s made in  Hawaii…someone told me that Rissa Mananquil, you know her?…also uses it.”  Indeed, leave it to the Hawaiians, people of perfect tans, to bring forth some of the best tanning oils in the world…and I’m not just talking about Hawaiian Tropics.  Meet the so-they-say revered original Maui Island Secret Browning Oil, word has somewhat gotten around for awhile, and it’s finally gotten to me.

Key Ingredients: Kukui Nut Oil, Passion Flower Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Aloe, Maui Coffee Extract, Green Tea Extract, Vitamins A, C, and E.

“Our Browning Formula promotes the fastest, darkest natural sun tan while hydrating your skin and infusing it with nourishing oils and vitamins. We recommend that you have a base tan before using this as it contains no SPF. Combine with SPF for extra sun-sensitive areas where needed.”

Before I talk about this Maui wowie, need to get this other thought out of the way, first.  As you regular readers know I’ve been testing out another previous tanning oil I posted and honestly, I actually wasn’t disappointed with the the initial results considering that Ritual’s Real Tan Browning Oil is 100% organic.  As expected the results were NOT as instantaneous as more chemically charged, mass-produced oils like Hawaiian Tropics (sorry I haven’t posted a picture of myself, I will soon) since Real Tan by Ritual has an extremely short ingredients list. Read more to know why I now prefer this over the previous tanning oil I first blogged about.

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Tipco 100% Purple Carrot & Mixed Fruit Juice | Tastes Like a Jamba Secret

There’s a not so secret secret that a lot of the youth locally know already, that Jamba Juice has something off the menu that you can ask for.  I’m talking about the ever yummy Red Gummi shake, reminiscent of gummi bears and everything beary fruity good.  My brother and i made a discovery just yesterday. We discovered a juice that tastes just like it.

Tipco juice is made of 3 parts of mixed fruit or vegetable juice.  My brother agrees with me on the fact that Tipco’s Purple Carrot & Mixed Fruit variant nails the Red Gummi flavor we’ve been missing from Jamba…especially when chilled.  It’s veggie juice without the savory yuck factor some people can’t stand (I can, I love v8) and even my triathlete aunt, Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, drinks this juice and my cousins, her tri-athlete kids, love it.  It’s naturally fruity sweet with NO added sugar, artificial colors or preservatives.  We got this box and other variants for around Php80++ each at Iloilo Supermarket.

Wordless Wednesday | March 2012

Real Tan Oil by Ritual | Part 1: A Brief Intro

What annoys me about purchasing tanning oil is you hardly ever, or more often never, get through a whole bottle.  Really…now.  The idea also of having chemical concoctions tamper with my personal pigment kinda sorta scares me.  When I hopped over to the Collective (Malugay St., Makati) for a Wabi-Sabi noodle fix I made a quick run by Ritual and picked this organic gem up.

Made of organic oils of coffee, carrot, and coconut (plus Vitamin E) just the idea of this tanning oil floats my boat.  I smelt it from the bottle and I knew considering Ritual’s ethical view on beauty that it wouldn’t be artificially scented, it smelt a bit foodie but didn’t stink at all in my opinion, the coffee helps neutralize it. My only con so far is the rubber bottle plug is difficult to put back in once opened. I plan to replace it with a cork later on. I will review the results of using this tanning oil after the next few days. There’s a bigger bottle but this smaller one cost about…Php495+ you can find the Ritual Boutique on Facebook and here’s the map showing how to get to the Collective in Makati.

Ritual at The Collective, 7274 Malugay St., Makati City, 1203

BH Cosmetics 32-Color Lip Palette | Affordable Shades With Ease 48% OFF!

I’ve been out almost a week coz of so many rush pre-Holy week events that mattered more. I’ve been putting off trying this palette because to be honest I judged it harshly. I needed to use this because it makes doing lips so much easier on set at shoots. I was afraid at first that this BH Cosmetics 32-Color Lip palette might be another one of those “Made You Know Where” palettes with lots of sheer colors that dont really deliver. Boy was I wrong.

The ingredients won’t shine in the “no nasties” department but nevertheless it’s a good workhorse palette for shoots and quick pictorials. I was afraid that these would be like the NYX round lipsticks which completely suck in humid climates, lots of greasy pigment that moves around everywhere but NO… these aren’t like that at all.

Let me guess…NOW I have your undivided attention. Aren’t those swatches impressive? My favorite shade in the 2nd to the last shot is the beige-y gold rightmost column in the center which I used on a TVC talent last week and reminds me of a Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited lipstick I used to own. They’re high street/drugstore lipstick comparable in texture and this selection comes with a mix of amplified solid semi-mattes, pigmented lustres, and some gold duochromes. Mucho Gracias to Mega Tita Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan for surprising me with this lovely lip palette. The Pixiwoo sisters featured the 120-color eyeshadow palette about 2 years ago. I believe a strong competitor of BH Cosmetics would be Coastal Scents in the U.S., not certain if their lip palettes are just as pigmented. Free Shipping in the U.S. and they ship abroad for a minimum rate of $12.95 but you beauty bugs can also try Ebay or Hong Kong. I’ll try and do a separate post and see if I have time to shoot myself wearing a lot of the shades you see here. Guess what! This particular palette is on sale now via BH Cosmetics online discounted 48% so it only costs $10.00 at the moment excluding international shipping!