Holika Holika Pore Sea Stem Cover Balm

Hey guys! A few weeks after Holika Holika opened its first branch in the Philippines, I decided to check it out just to see if there was anything that I'd actually be interested in trying.

The first balm I've ever tried was Lioele's Rich Pore Balm. I thought about buying the full-sized one then realized I should probably look for a cheaper alternative since the one from Lioele is over a thousand bucks. 

This cover balm retails for 485.00 Php for a 20g tub. It's of the same consistency with the one from Lioele-- almost a pasty non-oily balm. According to the SA, this can actually improve the skin's texture and the size of pores.

The Verdict:

I actually love this balm just as I loved the one from Lioele. It's not as expensive but it works just as well. It makes the skin feel velvety smooth and it helps in oil control. This actually allows me to blot at lunch time and not right after I step into the office. It covers a lot of my small pores-- kind of like those under the eye area--but not the big ones. Application of foundation and everything else is a breeze. It can also be used as a finishing balm because of its powdery texture.

Since it's a cover balm, it can be used for target application, say around the T-zone area. But if you want to use it on your entire face, you can opt to mix it with your moisturizer. I see a lot of Korean MUAs doing this. ^^ Just get a small amount of balm and about a pump of your moisturizer and proceed with application. ^^

This balm is awesome because it's not that expensive considering the amount of product you'd need to cover your entire face. I actually just run my fingers through (which is not very hygienic) and dab the product onto my nose, forehead, and cheeks.

This is probably one product I'd bring with me all the time. It's very versatile and just what I need to help with my oiliness. The oil control only lasts for about 4 hours or so but it's awesome all the same.

Have you tried a cover balm before? Lemme know. Cheerio!

I Nailed It #19: Marbly Marble

Hi! Just another quick nail art before getting to bed. ^^

A couple of weeks ago, I watched Lee Hong Ki of FT Island do a few nail art styles on an episode of Get It Beauty. I think he totally loves the whole nail art thing since he even published a book about it and he totally rocks the designs he does. Anyway, I saw him do a marble kind of nail art and decided to try it out.

Here are the polishes I used (L-R): OMG in Mojito, Girl Stuff in Avo Loco, OMG in Strobe, OMG in Gossip, Sassy in Blue?, Etude House Look at My Nails in Strawberry Milk

I put on a coat of Strawberry Milk, then blob a few drops of each color. Lee Hong Ki advised to use only a few drops of the dark color since it's harder to blend (or marble). Let it dry and put on your favorite top coat. (Mine is Strobe ^^)

I call it a hot mess...^^ I actually like this kind of nail art because even if it chips, it doesn't show much since the base coat is almost transparent. I'd probably try marbling other colors but I love this combination. It's so...mermaid-ish.

Anyways. Have a great weekend. ^^ Cheerio!

I Nailed It #18: Bobbie Royal Caviar Pearl Collection in Gorgeous Princess

Hey guys! I'm back with another nail-stuff discovery. My recent trip to Watsons, like always, ended with me buying a nail polish. But this one is quite different.

Caviar nails are fairly new to me. I've seen the Ciate set before and actually thought about buying it then realized I just couldn't (yet) spend over 500 bucks for nail polishes. 

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It was a good thing I found this at Watsons. Local brand Bobbie has recently released their own version of caviar nails set. Each set has a nail polish and a tub of micro pearls.

I chose Gorgeous Princess since I felt that the multicolored pearls would go well with any color of polish. But there are also other colors like black and white. Same goes for the nail polish. Each set also comes with a tray that's very helpful with the whole nail art thing-y. ^^ Each set retails for 99.00 Php. So here's how you do it. Or how I did it. ^^ According to the box instructions.

Put on two coats of Kohl. While it's still wet, pour the micro pearls with your nail in the area of the tray with the "mini-pathway" so as to let you put back the excess pearls for later use. Put on some of your favorite top coat and let dry for about 15-20 minutes. It does take a while because the pearls still keep on moving.

Here's my finished work. It looks totally cool but, on me, the pearls started falling off the next day. Maybe a better top coat could have done the trick.

Anyways, you can find this set at Watsons so make sure to check it out. Cheerio!

It's Skin Mini Tint Gloss in Mango Syrup

Hi guys! I've mentioned a couple of times how I tend to stay away from lip glosses simply because I hate having to remove strands of hair sticking on my mouth while on the road. But I still wear glosses on occasion. 

I was actually pretty surprised seeing an It's Skin store in SM North Edsa. It was just a small, simple store around the 3rd floor in the main building. 

One of the stuff I picked up was this tint gloss. I actually got curious because it said tint and I looovee tints. I was a bit skeptical at first because I haven't tried a gloss that can actually leave a stain. But I'm glad I bought it. 

The Verdict:

Being the coral/peach/orange color lover that I am, I actually fell in love with this lip gloss. I thought it would be too sheer to pull off on its own, but it actually has more color. It gave my lips a cool coral natural looking color. Surprisingly, it's also not as sticky as most of the glosses I've tried. 

What made me very happy about this product though is that it is actually a tint. It leaves a stain on the lips, when all that gloss and shine disappears, making it a good for-touch-ups lippie, just like most lip stains. Also, it's smaller than most glosses-on-tubes I've seen, making it easy to carry around. I think it is safe to say that this gloss definitely made me reconsider how I feel about glosses in general. Maybe I'd hoard glosses next. Kidding.

Each tube costs 194 Php. I'm not sure about the colors but I did see a red and pink one. 

Have you ever tried a tint gloss? How did it work for you? Lemme know. Cheerio!

Food Talk Special: Cupcakes by Sonja Customized Mini Cuppies

Hey guys! Just another short entry before I continue my Harry Potter movie marathon. ^^ 

A couple of weeks ago, my little sister celebrated her 18th birthday. And since it's her "debut" celebration, I decided to get her customized cupcakes from her favorite cupcake shop, Cupcakes by Sonja. 

I actually ordered her cupcakes two months in advance. I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't forget anything and actually have enough time to ask for changes if ever there was a need for it. Thankfully, Ms. Erika, the one I was in contact with in Cupcakes by Sonja, readily answered all of my questions so everything went smoothly.

Here are a few shots of her mini cupcakes in Peppermint Patty and Vanilla Surprise topped with mini representations of her favorite stuff like a telephone booth, Minions, coffee, instant camera, vinyl record, the Betty Autier X Lancaster bag, the gold Statue of Liberty from her favorite TV show, Fringe, Eiffel Tower, a guitar, Taylor's signature, her favorite show in the entire world X-Files' logo, and a UFO.

It was really cool because whoever designed the toppers really captured the details of the pictures I sent. I was actually pretty nervous because my sis sent some pretty detailed shots but they actually got it. My sister was very happy with her cuppies so I'm all good. Plus, the mini cupcakes were just as divine as the regular-sized ones.

Have you ever tried having your cupcakes customized? How did it go? Lemme know. Cheerio!

Food Talk: Parvati

Hi! It's time for another food talk. ^^ I actually have been lurking around Parvati for quite some time and the reason why I never got to try anything from their store until recently because I could never figure out where they store all their sweets. Turned out that one part of their store is a wall-freezer. ^^

So one night after work, I walked straight into Parvati and right across their counter, I saw a few freezer doors with posters of, well, probably the most number of sweets I've ever seen. But, I only had two targets at that time: their macarons and the Frank and Carol chocolate cake.

I got a box of 12 French Macarons of Petite Patisserie for 350 Php and a mini Frank and Carol's Dark Chocolate cake for around 150 Php.

The Verdict:
The macarons are probably the best I've tried ever. Although I wish the box had more flavors, I loved the flavors that came with ours, which I guessed were green tea, butter, and mango. I personally loved the green tea and these macarons are awesome because they're crunchy-chewy and there was enough cream inside. It's pretty pricey given the size of the macarons but they're definitely worth it.

The dark chocolate cake was plain awesome. I liked that it was bitter enough to be called a dark chocolate cake but it wasn't too much. It was actually a big hit that I kept thinking that I should've bought a bigger one. ^^ 

Parvati has a lot of sweets that I want to try, like their frozen brazo de mercedes and their cookies. I was actually a little overwhelmed with the many choices so I really should come prepared so I wouldn't overpurchase.

You can find Parvati at the Ground Floor of Trinoma, beside Gourdo's and right across UCC and Fully Booked. 

Cheerio!

Careline Easy Mascara in Blue

Hi guys! Before the day finally ends, I just want to squeeze in this review. A couple of weeks ago, out of fatigue and boredom, I decided to drop by Watsons, which is not really a good late-at-night move for me, especially when I'm all antsy. I transform into a shopaholic, that's why.

Kidding aside, one of the few items I got was this blue mascara from Careline. I've been meaning to get a blue mascara but just didn't know where to find a good one. This one's travel-friendly size caught my attention.

I don't know if you could tell, but I again made the mistake of stripping the mascara naked because the plastic cover that I thought was to be removed is actually the designed cover itself. So I had to tape it together to hold the design. ^^

A tube is priced at 85 Php. But when I got to the counter to pay for it, the price was down to 51 Php, which is like a little over a dollar. I was pretty shocked and happy for the surprise discount.

Pros:

1. Very affordable at either 85 bucks or 51. 

2. Travel friendly

3. I was actually expecting a flat navy blue color. I had to guess because there was no tester but I was glad to see that it was actually more of an electric blue color which makes my eyes look more awake.

4. Doesn't clump much even though I put on more than 3 coats

5. Easy to wash off

Cons:

1. It's not waterproof nor smudgeproof. (Even so, I like that it flakes off rather than rubbing off like paint all over my eyes)

2. Mine was a little dry already. I might have grabbed a defective one given that the brown one that I also have is not really dried up. 

Overall, I actually like this mascara. I can bring it with me, I like the color, and it's just fun to use. I think though that it would look better if I had some sort of white base mascara on since it would probably show the blue color more but other than that, I like it. I would have liked it even more if it was waterproof and smudgeproof.

Do you know of any cool blue mascaras? Shoot me a message. Cheerio!

August 2013 Hit Listers

Hey! It's time for another list of Hit Listers. ^^ As I've mentioned a few times, August was quite a busy month for me, so most of these things have been my go-to items, especially during my overnight stays. 

So without further ado, my August hit listers! ^^

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1. Master's Sun and Who Are You? (2013)
-I'd probably be okay losing sleep but I can't miss my K-dramas. Right now, I'm watching two I-see-ghosts dramas.

Master's Sun is the latest Hong Sisters' drama which I absolutely love. The Hong Sisters are well-known for their dramas Delightful Girl Chun-hyang, You're Beautiful, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, The Greatest Love/Best Love, and Big. I'd say that they probably make the coolest rom-coms I've ever watched. Master's Sun is horror-com about Gong-sil, played by Best Love's Gong Hyo-jin, a woman who can see ghosts. The drama got me hooked because not only is it funny but the plot has many witty twists as well. So Ji Sub is awesome here, too who is her ghost repellant who dislikes her. The ghosts here are pretty scary but I just can't get past Gong Hyo-jin's ridiculously huge eye bags and not laugh. She takes on many jobs and well, loses a whole lot of sleep because of the ghosts keeping her up.

Who Are You? (2013) is also a ghost drama but it takes on a more serious tone. So E-Hyun plays Shi-on, a detective who founds herself working for the Lost and Found Section of the police department after being in a coma for six years with absolutely no idea of what had happened. But she did take on a gift of seeing ghosts as she goes through the stuff in the lost and found section. Playing her partner is the non-ghost believer Gun Woo, played by 2PM's Ok Taecyeon. The main story arc though of this series is about the death of Shi-on's boyfriend,  Hyung Joon (played by Kim Jae Wook), who was killed in the line of duty six years ago.

2. Holika Holika Pore Sea Stem Cell Cover Balm
-Ever since I've tried the sample of Lioele's Rich Pore Balm, I've been on the search for something that has the same effect but with a lighter price tag. I've been loving this balm so far. It creates a perfect canvass and at the same time, helps with sebum control.

3. Celeteque Acne Solutions Oil Control Toner
-While on a one-month break from my Neutrogena Set, I decided to give this Celeteque toner a try. With a couple of weeks in usage, I could say that this really does help in drying up pimples.

4. Too Cool for School After School BB Foundation Lunch Box (Matte)
- I actually really like this BB cream, one because it has a super-matte finish which I like and because it has SPF and is travel-sized. I brought this with me during my all-nighters at work.

5. It's Skin Mini Tint Gloss in Mango 
- When I saw Its Skin's stall in SM North Edsa, I just freaked out. I didn't realize that another Korean beauty store opened this year. I immediately grabbed this and I actually love it. I usually stay away from glosses because I commute but I'll gladly make an exemption for this one because it leaves a tint on your lips. Review to follow. ^^

6. Careline Easy Mascara in Blue
-There is something really cool about blue mascara. It just gives a really nice effect on the lashes. Although this mascara is any-proof ^^, I love it just because. ^^

7. Careline Easy Mascara in Brown
-While I'm contemplating on which brow setting mascara to purchase, I decided to try if this one from Careline would do the trick and it does the trick. It's a bit dark that what I would usually use but it works. ^^

8. Gold Eyelash Curler from Saizen
-This one is just another run-of-the-mill eyelash curler but it's gold! It looks so classy and it works just as well as any other eyelash curler. The only difference being is that it looks great to display.

9. Bobbie Kaleidoscope Polish in Lemon Souffle
-This color changing polish is the coolest nail polish I've tried so far. I wish the color changed a lot more often but I still like the fact that the color does change. Now, I don't have to worry about changing nail colors very often.

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10. Speculoos
-I felt very lucky to have finally tried the famous Speculoos cookies and Speculoos Cookie Butter when someone brought them over at the office. It was even more delicious than I thought. The only way I know how to describe it is that it tastes like Christmas Gingerbread cookies. I'd gladly eat it by itself on my own if only it wasn't so expensive. 

So what made your August happy? Lemme know. Cheerio!