Althea Food Skin Love Box Review

Ever since I moved back to my hometown this January, I find myself constantly browsing online shops. In fact, one of the things I miss most about Manila is that it has everything-- from clothes, bags, makeup, skincare products, to different types of food (Japanese, Italian, Mexican, French, Mediterranean) to various fitness activities (I terribly miss doing anti-gravity yoga). Name it, and Manila has it! Lol so anyway, I have limited access to all those things now because I only fly to Manila once or twice a month. I discovered this website called Althea around the same time I moved back to my hometown. It's a website that sells Korean beauty and skincare products. Talk about perfect timing!

I first ordered from Althea early this year which you can read about here. This is my third purchase from Althea and so far I'm happy with all my purchases. This time, I got a Food Skin Love Box which included eight full-sized products.

Althea Box #13: Vitamin Box Review

(Photo from Althea)

Hi guys! I just want to share with you my first ever purchase from Althea, an online store that carries Korean skincare and beauty products. The entire process was sooo convenient and hassle-free. I recently ordered a Vitamin Box which contained seven full-sized items for only Php 1,350 (regular price is at Php 6,006). I didn't encounter any problems. AT ALL. My order even qualified for free shipping -- yay!

Doll Glam

The Doll Glam event was held at The Block, SM North Edsa last July 26. Organized by the SM Store Beauty Section, the entire area was filled with booths from various beauty, makeup, and skincare brands.

Participating brands include Dolly Wink, BYS, NYX, Pixy, Heroine Make, Kate, Maybelline, Cutex, Palty, Beautylabo, Lucido-L, and Majolica Majorca.

Banila Co. Prime Primer BB Cream in Nude

From all the BB creams I've tried, I've finally found the one! Yes, the one! It's banila co.'s Prime Primer BB Cream in Nude. It looks sheer on the skin but subtly conceals your blemishes. It also has SPF 37 PA++, and because of its sun protection capabilities, I sometimes skip the sunblock (Uh oh, not good!).

This product can be used alone or as a makeup base before applying foundation. Either way, it works amazingly. It is also perfumed -- but only lightly. And because of its pump applicator, application is less messy and there will be no instances of excess product leaking from the tip when you press the tube container too hard.

Click the button to read the rest!

Virginia Olsen Eyeshadow in Midnight Glam and Spring

I promised I would post a look wearing the green eyeshadows from Virginia Olsen, and here it is! This is a lighter version of the smoky eyes, which can be worn during daytime. You can experiment and go darker for parties or events.

Want to achieve this look? You're in luck because I'm giving away Virginia Olsen eyeshadows! Click here to join.

Browhaus: Introducing the Brow Resurrection 2.4

A few weeks ago, Browhaus invited me to witness the newest version of Brow Resurrection -- the version 2.4. For those who don't know, Brow Resurrection is a semi-permanent eyebrow treatment that will give you the brow shape you've always wanted (no more lining and shaping your brows in the morning!). This is recommended for those who have thin and shapeless brows (like me!), and also those who have thick and unruly brows.

Très Chic

It was mid-March when I suddenly got a text message inviting me to be the model of Max Factor for their segment on this year's BDJ Beauty Social. Basically, the BDJ Beauty Social is a one-day event where you can listen to talks given by some big personalities in the beauty industry. You can also spend time going around the booths trying out the latest beauty products. This year's event was entitled Très Chic and was held at Samsung Hall, SM Aura. A lot of brands participated this year like Moschino, Shiseido, Covergirl, Benefit, Canmake, and Too Cool for School, to name a few.

I was among the first ones to try Max Factor's Whipped Creme foundation, which, I must say, felt very light on the skin. The makeup I'm wearing here, which deeply emphasizes the eyes, is the summer look created by Bobby Carlos for Max Factor. The makeup was really nice but I guess I'm still more comfortable wearing neutrals.

Thanks to the Max Factor team for having me and to the BDJ team for always making me feel welcome! :)

Tmart 88 Warm Professional Eyeshadow Palette Review

Tmart.com recently asked me to choose which eyeshadow palette I wanted to review, and knowing me, I chose the most neutral eyeshadow palette I could find. Yes, there were lots of bright, fun and colorful eyeshadow palettes to choose from. I won't deny it, they look extra nice and it was as if they were calling out my name and shouting 'pick me, pick me!'. But later on, I realized that if I choose those colorful ones, I won't be using them that much in the end. And so, I picked this one! :)

Maybelline Clear Smooth 8-in-1 Skin Transformer BB Cream Review

The Maybelline Clear Smooth was the first ever BB cream I bought, and I wasn't disappointed! It provides sun protection (one of the things I look for in face products) of SPF 26. That's good enough, but I'm still not that satisfied with the SPF (Maybelline recently launched a BB cream variant that offers SPF 50 though). It effectively brightens my skin and hides minor blemishes, and also evens out my skin tone. I love how it provides a moist and dewy look, yet remains natural, as if you didn't apply anything on your face!

More details after the break.

My BB Cream/Foundation Collection

1. Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream SPF 26 in 01 Fresh

2. MAC Prep+Prime BB Cream SPF 35

3. L'Oreal Lucent Magique Light-Infusing Foundation SPF 24 in N5 Pure Honey

4. Collection 2000 Color Match Foundation SPF 20 in 4 Natural

5. Banila Co. Primer+BB Cream SPF 37 in Nude 

6. Collection Cover & Go Foundation and Concealer Duo in 3 Fair

7. Collection BB Secrets Beauty Balm SPF 15 in Medium

8. Missha Signature Wrinkle Filler BB Cream SPF 37 No. 23

9. Pond's Flawless White BB Cream SPF 30 in Light

Aside from my Shu Uemura Mousse Foundation and Too Cool For School BB Foundation Lunchbox, these are the BB Cream/Foundation I have with me. They're quite a lot considering the fact that I don't wear makeup that often. Most of these were gifts or from giveaways. To tell you the truth, I haven't had the chance to try each one out because there were just too many. Plus, I have this habit of completely emptying my current bottle of makeup/beauty product before opening a new one. As of now, I've only tried the Maybelline, MAC, and Pond's BB Cream, and so far so good! I'll be posting reviews once I get to try each one out!

Which one do you want me to try next? :) 

Creations Salon by Lourd Ramos

Allow me to give you a glimpse of my hair experience at Creations Salon by clicking the blue button below!

The Glamourtini x Snoe Giveaway - CLOSED

When I first learned about Snoe through a magazine ad, I couldn't help but be curious. I mean, with all the amazing packaging and witty names, is the quality of their products as impressive? It wasn't until I attended their bloggers event last year that I finally got to know more about their products. I was very surprised when I found out the brand originated locally. They use only the finest ingredients, but still make sure they're very affordable! I even wrote a review of one of my favorites -- the Here Comes the Sunblock Sunscreen.

To celebrate my blog's second year and as a means to thank all of you for reading my blog, I decided to host a giveaway! This time, I'll be giving away, you guessed it, Snoe products! Read on to know the items you can win!

I, together with the people behind Snoe, teamed up to get your hands on their hottest bestsellers! Five of my lucky readers will be getting one set each of Snoe beauty products containing the following:

❤ 1 Snoe White Beauty Bar
❤ 1 Body Ritual Recipes Scrumptious Body Spritz
❤ 1 Body Ritual Recipes Whipped Body Frosting
❤ 1 Body Ritual Recipes Bath Syrup
❤ 1 Oh My Wash! Intimate Wash
❤ 1 Fizzy Clean Foaming Hand Sanitizer

There will be three winners on this blog giveaway, and another two will be from my Facebook giveaway. Here's an idea: if you want more chances of winning, join both giveaways! Joining has never been easier: just follow the instructions on Rafflecopter. Give time for the Rafflecopter widget to load though! And if you're reading this post from my home page, click the blue button below (click, click, click for more photos button) to view the widget.

LANEIGE Water Sleeping Pack_EX Review

(Image source: Google)

I've been hearing so many positive reviews about this product so I bought one and decided to see for myself. This product is designed to hydrate the skin and restore its bright complexion. It is used on the face once or twice a week (or more when your skin is particularly dry) before going to bed. The product comes with an instruction sheet (thankfully, there are instructions in English) and a spatula.

The sleeping pack is gel-based and alcohol-free so this might be safe for sensitive skin. Upon application, the gel feels very refreshing, and to make the experience even more relaxing, it comes with a mild scent. The product dries easily so you don't have to worry about it smearing your pillow. You'll immediately see the results upon waking up in the morning - softer, suppler, and brighter skin. I'm not sure about its long term effects though because I haven't been using it for that long. Also, it's a bit pricey compared to other mainstream Korean skincare brands so you might have to take that into consideration too. What do you think about this product? Leave a comment! :)

Would I repurchase? Probably. My skin isn't dry so I don't think this product is a necessity for me. I highly recommend this to those with dry skin though.

These are the directions for use according to the product's instruction sheet:

TCFS After School BB Foundation Lunchbox Review

(Image source: Google)

It's probably time to introduce all of you to my current favorite foundation, the Too Cool for School After School BB Foundation Lunchbox! It comes in two kinds and I'm using the one for watery skin (#2). Actually, this was one of the things Ryan bought for me in Korea. I have no idea how he got hold of such an amazing product! 

Among all the BB/Foundation products I've tried, this one provides the coverage best suited for my skin--not too light but not too heavy. It hides blemishes perfectly and lightens up the face, making the skin look flawless. There is a built-in spatula inside which can be useful for scooping out the product from the bottle. The texture is so thick that you only need to use a small amount at a time. I honestly think this is going to stay with me for the next few years since I don't wear makeup that often lol. Another great thing about this product is that it has SPF37 PA++, quite enough sun protection if you ask me (but note that you have to use a sunblock with a much higher SPF with frequent applications if you're planning to stay under the sun for a long time). Although it is bigger in size compared to other BB/foundation products, it can still be considered travel-friendly because it comes with a concealer and highlighter on its lid. Cool, right? :) The concealer has a creamy texture and hides my under eye circles pretty well (but then again, my under eye circles aren't that dark to begin with so I'm not so sure of its concealing ability). The highlighter is nice too since it gives off a natural glow.

Am I going to repurchase when it runs out? Definitely!

BeautyBook.ph Launch

I was very fortunate to have been invited to the launch of BeautyBook, an online source of beauty tips and fashion advice from experts. There, you can find beauty regimens, fashion forward advice, and makeup trends for all types of women. Tried-and-tested beauty products provided on the site would come in useful for those who are looking for something new to add to their list of beauty essentials.

Every month, BeautyBook invites online experts to give you the best insights in beauty and fashion. It covers hair care (Hair Story), skin care (Skin Ever After), fashion and makeup (Magic Glam), and a listing of the best beauty bargains (The Royal Treatment). Check it out for yourself - beautybook.ph.

The launch was held at Sala Bistro at Greenbelt 3 and was hosted by the gorgeous Laica Turingan. They invited makeup artist Ning to give us an overview of this season's fashion and makeup trends. She did a short makeup demo on my friend Phya showing us a natural daytime look. While in the middle of a conversation, I was so surprised when I was called to be the model for the hair styling demonstration. Ning showed us how to achieve beach waves without using intense heat or chemicals by simply twisting the hair and making it into a bun. The launch really raised my expectations of the site and guess what, it didn't disappoint. :)

Shu Uemura Mousse Foundation

I have been on the lookout for the perfect foundation for a while now. When going to parties and events, I only use BB cream because they already provide enough coverage for my face. BB creams are no doubt, my best friends when it comes to day makeup. However, during formal parties and events, everybody would be wearing full makeup while I looked like I had been working the whole day and hadn't even bothered to apply makeup. Even if I could say that my face doesn't need heavy coverage to conceal blemishes, I think it would still be necessary to have a trusty foundation that I could use from time to time.

Say hello to the Shu Uemura Mousse Foundation in Light Beige! This will give your face a nude and sheer finish. Similar to the effect of BB cream, this foundation when applied looks very natural and gives you a certain glow. The feeling on your face is very light, as if you aren't wearing any makeup. Surprisingly, this is even lighter than BB cream. This is perfect for those who prefer light coverage, but still heavy enough to be used for formal gatherings and events.

Click the button below to see more photos.

Photo from Google.

Crazy about Makeup

Banila Co. Primer BB Cream in Nude

These are the makeup I bought recently. I'm not just talking about the one above, there are more! (Click the button below to see everything.) This sudden love for makeup gave me the motivation to buy anything and everything I set my eyes on. Some of these were even bought in Korea in two separate occasions by two different people. I'm thinking of posting reviews about some of the stuff here. Do you think that would be a great idea? :)