Hey! This is it, it’s the blog’s first Nationwide Twitter giveaway! Read the simple mechanics included in this post and find out how to join. Aha, has it been ages? Oh my, practically a year since my last giveaway. I’m a stingy blogger aren’t I? No, it’s just takes time to accumulate prizes for sufficient loot that I think is giveaway worthy on this blog.
ROW 1 (L-R):Neutrogena Fine Fairness BB Cream, OPI Nail Lacquer in Langham Pink, Diptyque Doson Eau de Toilette and Body Lotion samples, Acca Kappa Wood Comb
ROW 2 (L-R):Watsons Heart Shape Toe Separators, Aveda Invati Shampoo and Conditioner Samples, Haus of Gloi Litchi Milk Tea Bubbling Scrub plus scent samples, Myra VitaGlow Tinted Moisturizer (2 pcs Ivory & Beige)
I’ve got a sizeable firing squad of items here for just one winner! If you don’t want a walkthrough of all the prize product information just proceed to the very bottom of the full post for the mechanics. Read more to get a closer look at the prizes, their descriptions, and please kindly pay attention to the pretty simple mechanics, terms, and conditions at the end.
Alas, the month of love is upon us, and our toes, too, if you like. If you plan to separate your tight-knit party of five you must do so with all your heartsez…
Forgive me, I only plan to have fun and not gush about this month’s season of romance *sob…cuts pointy heart-shaped gash onto wrist*. Don’t mind me, mind these, aren’t they cute? Your husband or boyfriend will never thank you enough…I’m serious…NOT. You could also wear these on your hands instead of brass knuckles and deliver a harmless blow if they hurt your feelings or forget about Valentine’s LOL!. These are available at select Watsons branches, I got these in SM Mall of Asia’s beauty department for bout Php30.00.
I’d be lying if I said seeing the newborn Benefit baby didn’t get my heart beating a bit faster. Asian girls rejoice!
Sunbeam is a golden bronze liquid highlighter that screams SUMMER. I can’t help being excited because I’m a warm-skinned Filipina lady, cool highlighters are okay, but a golden highlighter like this has got to be way better for someone like me, or many Filipinas for that matter! This photo below was posted on the Benefit blog showing the leftmost swatch of Sunbeam alongside Benefit’s other highlighters. Click on this link to Benefit Cosmetics’ Online Blog.
From Left: Sunbeam, High Beam, Girl Meets Pearl, and Watts Up
I have no confirmation on whether Benefit Philippines will be bringing this in, but I sure super hope they do, it will certainly be a fast seller when summer kicks in!
Here, before you, lie the products I’ve consumed or almost consumed to the end. It seemed only fitting to present them to you at the end of January. Nothing else ultimately proves that you truly, truly like a product that works for you than when you’ve hit pan or nearly squeezed out the last drop.
Itemized by number, reviewed items in bold links, descriptions below:
1. This Japanese cake foundation helped make me more photogenic and natural plus the cream base finish was soft and touchable, W-I-N, with compact about SG$29 (Watsons, SG).
2. A bright lemon citrus and sugary mix blended into the enticing scent of Absinthe, I like using this scrub on my feet, cost US$3.50
3.Found it in the side pocket of my bag from 1.5 yrs ago, tightly sealed but still okay, it was almost gone na rin, bout Php275, hydrates lips and brightens your day with a true sweetened strawberry scent.
4. This 2-way foundation compact provides great quick full coverage for everyday and oily skin, a refill costs Php800 at Watsons.
5.Got this off ebay for bout US $6. People have mixed feelings bout this mascara but Regine Velasquez (saw a photo of her applying it on her wedding day), MUA Cherry Pacheco (saw it in her kit), and I like it very much. I’m not fond of the wand, but this waterproof variant holds a curl really well and doesn’t give me spidery lashes. I think it’s the non-waterproof formula (green&pink) that sucks. 6. It’s our local equivalent of the super longwearing Avon Supershockgel eye pencil. It’s a true black that makes tight-lining eyes easy and is not painful to use on the lower waterline Php300 each, around Php450 for a set of 2.
7. I used this brown ELF eyeliner a lot not for my eyes but for my brows, it’s a great ashy brown that isn’t warm. Kind of like MAC Lingering or Brunette but for only about Php60.00.
8. I won’t be without this unless I don’t have the budget to top up (like right now). It’s the no makeup makeup base I brought around with me a lot and it looks PERFECT on me when at the beach or at an outdoor activity.
9. Hands down, my favorite hand spray because it doesn’t spritz, it sounds like this “FFFFFFFFFT!” and shoots a super fine mist, by Splash Corp. I don’t like the feel of alcogel and I like it when makeup clients can obviously see and SMELL that I’m disinfecting my hands, an alcohol spray that smells better than regular alcohol. Php30.00 for Php55ml and theres a smaller one for Php25 at almost all leading drugstores.
10. Made in Japan, I got my travel size one with conditioner from a convenience store in Singapore. I love Shiseido shampoos, mom got their Moist hydrating one in dark blue. This one I used out of town and when my hair needed a mild shampoo to reset. Floral Green is such a pretty scent, my best friend Alma used some of it when we were at the beach and she told me it smelled so wonderful in the shower.
11. I received sad news about this miracle exfoliating cream of mine…a friend said they were going to phase this out Sigh, some good things must come to an end, I hope Jurlique replaces it with an equally good product.
12. I scored a really good deal off Ebay on this Embryolisse Lait Creme, I got this and it came in a duo pack with a travel size one that I gave away last year. At first I didn’t like it, I thought it was too rich for my skin in a humid climate like ours, but then I changed how I used it. I applied it at night then went to bed and woke up with the most amazing supple and soft skin. It takes awhile to absorb and obviously works amazingly well as a night cream. It also appeals to me because it gently smells of Jasmine and light milk.
Coming soon, my daily favorites for the month of January 2012
I’ve raved about Haus of Gloi Vegan Bath and Body goods over and over again and now here I am yet AGAIN as I am smitten by my fave product in the range, their delightfully luxurious and soft bubbling scrubs. The quaint home business is a bath and beauty brand birthed by a lovely vegan couple in Portland, Oregon, Matt and Britton. They concoct natural and foodie fragrances and textures for the purpose of cleansing, smelling, and smoothing. Haus of Gloi also takes pride in their specialty, limited edition seasonal scent releases that always sell out pretty fast the moment stocks go live on their website here. Right now they have their Valentine’s Day collection online, but I’m too well stocked to order any more.
They sell out quick but it’s not as much of an impossibility to place an order with them as it is to get a Naked or Naked2 palette from the Urban Decay website. This delivery is my fourth purchase of Bubbling Scrubs from them (in the same box as Mom’s 6 orders of their ltd. Peppermint Cocoa whipped soaps) ever since I discovered “the Haus” and these are perfect to tell you about before January ends (yes, it flew by didn’t it) since 2012′s kickoff for beauty is pretty much all about CLEAN.
SOFT BUBBLING SCRUB – “Apply to wet skin and massage into skin using circular motions. This is a water activated product and works best when vigorously lathered. I do not recommend this product for the face.”
Read more to see the full post and scent descriptions.
I was happy to receive Neutrogena’s invitation to attend the unveiling of their latest skin angel, their Fine Fairness BB Cream UV base. This new light, moisturizing, non-greasy, brightening protective skin base is now available at Watsons for Php575.00 which is discounted at 20% from January 26-February 22, 2012. Soon after that it will return to the regular SRP of Php720.00. So if you’re interested in trying Neutrogena’s New BB Cream now would be a good time to get it at nearly Php150 less than the original price . You know, this whole business about being “fair” has taken a funny turn in the sense that varied public opinions about whitening products often bank on the negative aspect of being fair or wanting to become fair in complexion. Along with the main belief that many women in this country want to be fair in order to be considered beautiful (which we all know shouldn’t be the case naman) other people may generalize too quickly, and though it is true for many that is not always the case or context for some. Here we are, the bloggers present at the Neutrogena event at Chef Jessie, Rockwell Club and as you can see NOT all of us are stereotypically fair, but we all radiate together, being happy with who we are.
I HATED headbands, not the elastic ones, I mean with all disdain the toothed wonders you fork towards the back of your head to keep hair out of your face or use to tie a look together. I grew up tolerating many a plastic few but they all delivered gradual skull pain behind my ears and a no-fail migraine at the end of the day. Honestly, I think the problem was either the shape of my head (it’s way too wonderful) or something about them just wasn’t ergonomic because they’d pop up over my head loose on top and tight where they ended. I happened to stroll into my mother’s bathroom this afternoon on a hunt for some spare makeup remover and I didn’t realize ’til then that she bought these because they were on the counter.
As soon as I beheld these headbands I knew I could finally let go of my lifelong hate. I asked Mom what brand they were and when she said “Goody” I had that twinkle in my eye and a *chime* sounded.
The Ouchless slim headbands are designed with ends that curve away from the areas behind the ears that tend to get sore and tender when pronged with regular headbands.
I’m sure these have been around for quite awhile. I only just happened to come across them yesterday and I’m so glad they exist. I’m sure I’ll own a few in the near future. After researching online I estimate that a pair of these would cost about Php200+.
Three plus two words. I like this…a lot. When Myra’s minions sent me an email last December, which was a frantic month for me, I couldn’t work around my schedule to pick up the batch of Myra VitaGlow Tinted Moisturizer press samples they set aside for me.
I finally managed to pick them up yesterday, quite delighted to see how generous they were with sampling. The Myra minions gave me 6 pairs (two shades) of these tinted moisturizers so I received 12 in total. Stay tuned for a Valentine Giveaway coming soon with more products in addition to this. Ok, back on Myra, I insist that you read the full post, because, although I never tend to be pushy I will this time because these Myra VitaGlow Tinted Moisturizers exceeded my expectations BIGtime. The product considerately comes in two shades, Ivory – a yellowish medium to fair shade, and Beige – a slightly more pink but deeper medium to medium deep shade.
The formula is thin, thinner than a Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, but not watery, so it isn’t runny either, (make sure you shake a bit before use). When I first received the email and did a quick look about online I suspected that Beige would probably be my shade, but I was mistaken, since Ivory turned out to be closer to the M.A.C. NC family of shades I was certain Beige would be just a little bit too pink for me. Read more to see me put it on!
Danica Magpantay was announced Ford Supermodel of the World 2010 in January of 2011. It’s now 2012 and the friendly Filipino supermodel is happily getting busier week after week.
On top of that she’s now onto bigger things, apart from flying in and out of the country as a professional model her endorsement of Tattoo Home has just made waves on national TV. That’s this one here.
At the end of this post I’ve included/embedded the behind the scenes video of the making of that commercial. I got on set and shot a few behind the scenes photos of her print shoot for the Tattoo Home campaign by Globe and Harrison Communications which was shot by photographer, Xander Angeles. Danica represents and projects the brand excellently.
Highlights for me were meeting both Danica, stylist Jenni Epperson who recently won for best style blog in the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Awards, and Danica’s mother, the makeup artist for the day, Lala Flores. Lala has been doing professional makeup for roughly the last 12-13 years she says and ever so slowly she hopes she can dedicate her time more to motherhood, but for now the artistry continues. I was quite inspired and trying too hard not to say anything silly (out of excitement) around people who serve and perform in the industry so well. I kind of had butterflies in my tummy while having a chat with Lala and Jenni with some pan de sal and pancit on the side. I didn’t take as many shots as I’m normally able to because I borrowed my Dad’s camera and the memory card was acting up after I had taken several. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy the brief stream of on-set photos.
Read more to see the full post and all the photos.
Mom shared that she was going to Hong Kong for an overnight work trip and she asked me four magic words “What do you want?”. I could only hope for one luxuriously fragrant thing, my very first Diptyque candle. If there was going to be a scented candle featured for the first time on BlessMyBag this would have to be it, Diptyque’s highly in demand, best-selling Baies Candle.
What better way to light my Diptyque Baies candle than with these pretty in pink Langham hotel matches? They’re not just pretty, they strike a flame in a half-second. Diptyque are French purveyors of some of the finest scented candles in the world and the business actually began with 3 artisan colleagues who partnered in 1961. They opened shop at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain to showcase their avant-garde fabric designs and then introduced candles with perfumed wax as an accompaniment to their original wares.
Photo Credit: Chic-cityrats.net
Customers are then smitten with the candles which are an instant olfactory hit. Diptyque showcased the first official Diptyque candle in 1963 and their first range of fragrances were released in 1968. They’ve been in the business for 51 years now. The Diptyque Boutique (repeat 5x if you can lol) in Hong Kong is located at the International Finance Center (IFC) mall.
The scent of this Baies candle dispels any doubt one might have about Diptyque’s preceding reputation. A waft of this Baies candle bears notes of roses in bloom embraced by the deep warmth of black currants. In my mind it’s the perfect waltz of fruity and floral. When Mom, Dad and I smelt the box as we opened it, eyes rolled back. My dad is a hygiene freak and loves strong fragrances. Having lived as the son of a Vatican Diplomat in Rome for 3 years he’s sampled some of the best and he loves smelling lotions, salves, and colognes in bottles and that’s an added bonus to me as a beauty blogger. To me, it smelled like Christmas but not in a stereotypical way, it’s a more refined sort of scent and it also brought me back to the time when Baguio didn’t smell like diesel fumes, when the hints of pine in the breeze still hit you if you had your car window open. I don’t think this candle actually contains notes of pine but it brought me back to that time in my life and the Christmas accent in the fragrance combination isn’t overwhelmingly Christmas-y. Mom says she paid roughly Php1800 for this mini candle here which is a bit bigger than a shot glass. Your jaw dropped, yup, they’re expensive but undeniably memorable and they come in a bigger standard size which would cost about Php2100 (or more in Rustan’s) as I estimate from the Diptyque website. This Baies candle and the Langham pink matches have reawakened my childhood joy of lighting candles.
My mom also bought Diptyque fragrances for both herself and Dad, more on that next time.
“One Candle lights one candle, Two Candles light four, and when they shine there is no darkness anymore…” – Everlasting Light music album
I think I know what I want on my birthday, 1 more Diptyque Candle in a different scent (I’m eyeing Feu de Bois which is a “sophisticated accord of woods”) or one of their scent ovals which is a fragranced oval you keep or hang in drawers, wardrobes, baskets, bags or wherever to keep a scent going in the area. A limited range of Diptyque products is available at Rustan’s Makati and Rustan’s tower Shangrila-Plaza mall. Diptyque products are expensive but they’re made with love and are an absolute delight to own.
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Sigh, some good things must come to an end, I hope Jurlique replaces it with an equally good product.
Rae (4)
Bea (3)
Anna (2)
Beauty by Tellie (2)
Belle (2)
