Just Sampling: Nature Republic Moist Steam Cream

Hi guys. ^^ I have just gotten back into trying out samples since I'm running low on my usual. For instance, my third tub of Nature Republic's Aloe Gel is almost empty so I decided to try out this sample that I got.

I got this freebie when I bought my mom's hair color. According to Nature Republic's Facebook page, this cream is Shin Se Kyung (Fashion King; When A Man Loves) Limited Edition Steam Cream. Shin Se Kyung is Nature Republic's present endorser. A regular tub has 100 ml of product and costs 795 Php. There are actually three kinds: Fresh Steam Cream for Oily/Combination Skin, Moist Steam Cream for Dry and Normal Skin, and the Ultra Steam Cream for Severely Dry Skin.

I was able to try out the Moist Steam Cream. 1 ml of product was enough for 3 days, day and night application.

ibuybeauti.com

The Verdict:
I actually like it's texture-- it's not a heavy cream type and it's not runny either. It's almost like a light creamy gel. ^^ It gets absorbed easily by the skin and leaves no sticky feeling. I was quite surprised and impressed with the result with even just three days of usage. It really moisturized my skin and made it feel supple. I only wish there was more product for me to try and then maybe I'd be able to see more results.

This is definitely a product that I would try. Probably the one more suitable for my skin condition, which is the Fresh one. But if you have normal or dry skin, I suggest giving this a try. This might actually work out for you. ^^

Cheerio!

Look What I Bought: Korean Samples

Hi. Just a quick post here to show you a couple of samples I got this weekend. I haven't been posting my reviews on samples mainly because I haven't had the chance to test new ones. ^^

Lioele is one of the Korean brands I've always wanted to try so when I saw on their Facebook page that their branch in Market Market is having a 30% off sale on all items, I took that chance to grab a few samples.

The samples from Nature Republic goodies are freebies from my purchase a few hours ago. I bought my mom her new hair color set for her birthday. ^^

Green Tea Emulsion and Moist Steam Cream samples from Nature Republic. Can't wait to try Green Tea Emulsion after I finish my third tub of their cool Aloe gel. ^^

These are the samples I bought from Lioele. Since it's a new brand, I wanted to test out first a few of their product. I bought three tubes of their sunscreen (3 for 100 pesos; originally retails for 50 each) and their Pore Rich Balm, which is basically a primer, also for 3 for 100.

I'll get back to you once I test out these babies. ^^ Cheerio!

Nature Republic Jelly Drop Gloss in Red Orange and a Little Fangirling

Hi! I think you'd all agree with me when I say it's getting just a tad too warm these days. Iced tea and ice-cold soft drinks have suddenly become mainstay items in our refrigerator.  Anyway, perfect time to take the blender out and make 'em smoothies and shakes.

Today's review or post would be on Nature Republic's Jelly Drop Gloss. I totally made up the red orange color because nothing is indicated on the tube.

The words in the back are of no much help. It's basically Korean for Nature Republic Jelly Drop Gloss. No amount of product stated too. Each tube costs 198.00. This was originally my sister's but since it's orange, it fell into my hands... *haha*

The Verdict:
This Jelly Drop Gloss is just your run-of-the-mill lip gloss. Actually reminds me of the very first lip gloss I owned which was a blueberry one from Penshoppe. Despite it's very stron color as swatched on my hand, on the lips, it actually just gives a peach-y tint to the lips. It's actually my kind of color because it looks really natural. But, like most glosses, this one doesn't last very long and can't survive a drink or a meal. The good thing about this though is it's not really too sticky. I've had thick sticky glosses and this isn't one of them.

Whenever I'm up for a shiny tint, this is the gloss I grab. It requires constant application but no worries.

Have you tried a Jelly Drop Gloss? Shoot me a message! Cheerio! =)

BTW, anyone else caught Demi's concert yesterday? I was a bit far from the stage to actually see her but she's totally, completely, and without-a-doubt the awesome-est. Forgive my fan-girling heart that's been fluttering for Demi since 2007 or was it 2008? =) When I get my thoughts and my head on straight about the concert, I'll give you the longest entry of the century.

February 2013 Hit Listers

Hi. Another weekend coming to an end. =( I might just be suffering from Monday sickness. Anyway, before I completely forget, again, to do a round-up of my fave things this February, I might as well try to do it now.

February was different for me, probably mainly because of my new job, which tweaked everything in my schedule and all. But I had all these things that kept me happy.

 1. Nature Republic Aloe Vera Soothing Gel
- I'm now on my third tub of this awesome multipurpose aloe gel. I mainly use this for my face before I put on make-up and at night, before I sleep. Read my review here.

 2. The Body Shop Lily Cole Lip and Cheek Dome in Crazy for Coral
- It might not be a completely great product because it's a little to sheer, but I have found myself constantly reaching for it to give my cheeks a subtle peach-y glow. Read my review here.

3. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 50+
- This is actually my mom's. But when I ran out of my Snoe sun cream, I decided to give this a whirl. I like this because it's a bit more water-y than most sunblocks so blending it is a breeze. Plus, it has a high SPF.

4. Kicks Rubber Shoes/Wedges/Booties
-Sorry I have no idea what to call this pair. Although I fall over every time I wear heels, I made an exception with this one. It's chic, it's cute and pretty much easy to pair up with the stuff I have in the closet. I bought it on sale for about 1000 bucks. A lot more than what I usually spend for shoes but I think it was worth it.

5. Oversized Ribbons
-These were given to me by my sister. I have a couple more that didn't make it to the shot. I love ribbons like these because they give that extra "oomph" to an outfit.

6. BYS Lipstick in Everything's Peachy

-This was given to me by my sister because she knows how I love everything orange in lippies. This color's a little hard to pull off on its own, but with a little tint, it looks great.

7. Flower Boy Next Door

-Cute, witty, funny, and plain genius. Flower Boy Next Door tells the story of Go Dok Mi, played by He's Beautiful's Park Shin Hye, a shy editor who refuses the leave the four walls of her tiny apartment and spends time writing and peeking at her neighbors. Then she meets Enrique Geum, a video game genius from Spain who tries to get Dok Mi to explore the world outside her box. One of the best series with a flower boy or "pretty boy" concept, aside from Boys over Flowers, Shut Up Flower Boy Band, and Flower Boy Ramyun Shop. I wish local channels will take series like this one.

8. Queen Inhyun's Man

- This one I think will be shown in GMA 7 as Queen and I. This one reminds me of The Rooftop Prince, in terms of the time-traveling concept. But what actually got me to like this series is that the play of things was quite different. Maybe because I think the characters in the story played along the time-traveling thing in a less shell-shocked manner. And it was quite nice to see Secret Garden's Yoo In-na get the spotlight as the lead.

 9. The Closer

-If you're into police procedurals that are funny and just jaw-dropping, I suggest you give The Closer a try. I've been watching this for years and have recently watched the seven seasons again. This series is about the cases of Brenda Leigh Johnson (played by Kyra Sedgwick), the LAPD's best case closer. How she gets suspects to confess to their crimes is just plain awesome. She just gets to you, too.

10. Refinery29.com

- From time to time, I check out new make-up concepts from fashion shows. That's how I came across Refinery 29 a few months ago. Refinery 29 also has fashion tips, beauty tips and news, and tutorials that are easy to follow. 

Hope you had a great weekend guys! Cheerio!

All Dolled Up: Look #2 Smoked Pink

Hello! Well, when I said soon on my last post, I kinda meant really soon, like right after I hit the "publish" button. =)

Anyways, to keep this entry short and sweet, here's the look I did for my sister when she decided she'd like to take a picture under the scorching heat of the sun. 

Her make-up inspiration? A blogger I only know by the name of Betty. I think she's French because my sister reads off French comments right after she shrieks when Betty puts up a comment on her pictures. =) Betty dons a very simple almost-smokey-eyes look paired up with a faint red lip color in most of her pictures, which is what I tried to do on my sis.

The first photo is before she spent a few minutes posing under the sun and the second one is one of the extra photos. =)

List of used items will follow. But, I can't link any reviews on some of the items because most are my sister's. But if you would like to read a review on an item mentioned, shoot me a comment and I'll just borrow it from her for a test drive. =)

 So, here's the finished look. Sorry, I made her pout and look down so you can see the lip color and the eye colors better. =)

I used:

1. Nature Republic By Flower BB Cream
2. MAC Select Cover Up Concealer
3. 4u2 dreamGirl Loose Powder in #2
4. E.L.F. Brightening Eye Color in Drama
5. Nichido Mineral Eyeliner in Onyx 
6. Lip Smacker Lip Balm in Cotton Candy
7. Nature Republic Petite Cherry Rouge in Red Orange

For this look, I tried to use more of the grays and less of the black eye shadow to not make her eyes look too smoked out. And because my sister's almost always wearing a red lippie on her pictures, I decided to use a salmon-pink hued lipstick instead with a name that's a little far off. But if you do see it, it's like a faint red-orange lipstick but with a much lighter pay off. No mascara (because she bats her eyelashes like crazy when with contacts on) and just a simple stroke of kohl eyeliner on the lids and on the outer thirds of the lower lash line.

If you are an Instagram user and find fashion and food totally rockin', check out my sister's pics at @elle_september where she just keeps on making other people hungry. Did I say she looovvveesss taking food pictures? =)

Anyways, have a good week ahead guys. Cheerio!

November 2012 Hit Listers

Hi. It’s December now, and before you know it, the year’s officially over. I don’t know what it is about December, but I’m always too busy around this time of year. It’s probably the all those sales and shopping.

Anyways, before I bore you of my wandering thoughts, here are the ten things that have made me happy in the month of November in no particular order. =)

1. Nature Republic Baby Tok Lip and Cheek Tint in Plum

-I’ve had this for about a year. I just suddenly remembered to use it again, and it still is my favorite blush. Although I’m a loyal peach-shade user of anything from lippies to blush, I love this purple blush to bits. Plus, it’s so easy to blend.

2. Neutrogena Deep Clean Cleanser

-I’m all for Neutrogena now and this Salicylic armed baby. =) This cleanser rocks, despite not being as foam-y as I would like it to be. I’ve now emptied this bottle and am off to buy another. Review will soon follow. Promise.

 3. Pure Beauty Treatment Hair Care Oil

- I ran out of the Etude Hair Serum I nabbed from my sister, and had to find a more affordable yet still works as well. I think I’ve found my bad curly hair days’ savior. Review, coming soon. All I can say is I love that it works and doesn’t stay sticky on my hands.

4. Maybelline Clear Smooth Aqua Gel Foundation

-My first legit foundation, and so far I’m loving it. It’s so light on the skin that it doesn’t feel like I have anything on. Plus, it’s oil free.

5. Snoe S Stem Cell Sunblock Cream SPF 30

- Suddenly, I’m thankful that I ran out of sun cream samples. Too thick for my liking, but does its work without the hefty price tag.

And now for the non-beauty related stuff but still cool for me... =)

6. Monk

FROM GOOGLE IMAGES/blog.seattlepi.com

-Tagged as the “Obsessive Compulsive Detective,” you just gotta love Adrian Monk.

I can’t remember how many times we’ve watched each season. Or how we willingly allowed ourselves to be hungry because the series finale was on TV. It’s that good. If you’re a police procedural shows addict like me, you’d appreciate the humor, exemplary story arc, great characters, and totally cool-some plot that this series has. Monk is about a former detective Adrian Monk, who suffers from an extreme case of obsessive behavior. He can’t live without his wipes, all the umbrella handles should be facing one direction, and..the tomatoes in his sandwiches should be cut into squares. But hey, he’s the best and brightest consultant in the police department. And he’s so cool. =)

7. Nice Guy/Innocent Man

FROM GOOGLE IMAGES/http://www.squidoo.com/nice-guy-korean-drama-2012

- I’m starting to become a sucker for Korean melodramas. Watching I Miss You now sends me clutching my heart, but this one’s a little toned down. Nice Guy stars Song Joong Ki (the quirky funny one from Sungkyunkwan Scandal/Secret Love) as Kang Maru, a guy who gets left by his love that sends him living for revenge, and maybe, possibly all while finding love along his twisted journey to payback.

8. Christina Grimmie

- I’ve been know to stalk YouTube singers. Not in a creepy obsessive way, just in a “he/she’s so good, so why isn’t she/he that famous yet?” way. Although Christina’s voice has that rasp reminiscent of Christina Aguilera’s, her cover renditions are so awesome, she made me a fan. Check her out on YouTube here.

9. Get It Beauty Self

-Most Korean women I’ve seen on TV have that “barely-there” makeup that I’m addicted to. I love studying how they do it and all. With our cable subscription before, I watched a show similar to this all the time. But now that we don’t have that channel, well hello YouTube. My favorite one is the one of Korean model Jang Yoon-ju here.

10. Cupcakes

-Okay, this may totally be just a little off but I don’t think I’ve eaten more cupcakes than I have this November. It was a crazy cupcake month. Just look at this and try not to drool. I haven't had one like this, but it's just too cute.

GOOGLEIMAGES/mychocolate.co.uk

What are your favorites for November? Lemme know! Cheerio!

Nature Republic Stain Girl's Tint

Hi. One of my favorite "make-up item" to collect are lip and cheek tints or stains. They're multipurpose and I'm not used to lugging around to many items on my kit, so we get along. =) I have a couple of stains and tints in my collection, and I recently bought another one.

I was looking for a tint with a pink shade since most of what I own are peach-ish and red shades. I had my eyes set on this Nature Republic Stain Girl's Tint for quite a while and decided to go on with the purchase.

(The name is puzzling to me though)

Priced at 220 but if you have their card, 198

Available in 3 shades. Mine is #2 which is pink. #1 is red and #3 is red orange

Pros:
1. It's slightly more watery that the other tints I've tried. It's a pro because it gives me more time to actually blend it out before it dries.
2. Lasts long
3. Works well as cheek tint. Gives off a natural color
4. Didn't sting or anything
5. No funny taste

Cons:
1. I don't like the smell. It actually reminded my sister (whose lips are above) of a cherry flavored cough syrup which I hate.
2. Although the container looks very stylish, it feels a bit brittle and fragile that I'm scared to drop it.
3. Tends to stain your fingers more than your lips or cheeks
4. A bit pricey
5. If you have dry lips, it has the tendency to sit on the lines of your lips

Despite the cons, I like this tint, except for the smell. It gives the lips a natural pink shade and you can actually build up the color if you want more of an intense pink color.

Any fave tints? Lemme know! Happy weekend. Cheerio!

I Nailed It #2: Cracks Over Pastels

Hi guys. Just a really quick post here to show you what my nails look like today. =)

I just had a moment with cracked nail polish again. Plus, my mom always tells me to use my polishes. I get reprimanded for collecting and not using. =)


Anyway, the products used are as follows:


(L-R) Nature Republic in "Mint-ish" Green (sorry I don't know the exact name)-65 Php
San San in Warm Blue around-35 Php
Klik Crack Nail Polish in Purple-24.75 Php
Klik Regular in Mango Shake-16 Php
Klik Colorless-16 Php


Have a great day guys! Cheerio!

Nature Republic Pretty Tree Auto Eyeliner in #1 (Black)

Hi guys! I was planning to put up reviews on two of my lipsticks, but I haven't gotten around on trying them yet. So, for now, I'll be reviewing my eyeliner, Nature Republic Pretty Tree Auto Eyeliner in #1 (Black). 

This was given to me by my sister, a little after graduation. I started using it when my sister permanently borrowed my favorite eyeliner from Herbench, and I've been using it since.

My sister says she can't remember the exact price, but she thinks it's around 170 Php.

Pros:

1. You might start thinking that I'm a sucker for quirky packaging and stuff...but I actually am, so the whole tree-like packaging of this eyeliner is a plus for me.

2. Armed with its own "smudger" 

3. Glides on smoothly and is pigmented enough

Cons:

1. It smudges, without it being smudged. =) I am an eyelid-rubber so when I use this, either the eyeliner disappears or it just makes a mess. 
2. Although it says black, it's not the strong black color that I'm used to
3. Since it doesn't stay long on my lids, I have to dust over some black e/s for so that it'll stay longer


I actually like this eyeliner but I wish that it'll have a longer staying-power. They also have a pencil version of this, but I'm over-sharpen my eyeliners that's why I'd rather use auto eyeliners. Anyways, thankfully, I think the sun's coming up again. =) Cheerio!

Beauty Alert: Nature Republic SM North Edsa Re-opening and Etude House North Edsa Sale

Hi guys. Just a quick entry. Nature Republic will have their re-opening later. They transferred their store near Flavours of China, which is around the second floor, I think. So, you guys should check that out. Especially if you are big fans of Jang Geun Suk. I think they'll be giving away folders and posters for a certain amount of purchase.


And, as I mentioned a while back, Etude House is having their mid-year sale until early September. So, you guys should probably grab this chance to stock up on make-up. Haha. When there is a sale, it's good enough reason to over-shop. =)


Ah, the weekend is here. You guys enjoy yours. Cheerio!

Nature Republic: Baby Tok Lip and Cheek Tint #5 in Baby Plum

Hi. I'm doing another review of a Nature Republic product. This one in particular, I got on my birthday last year (from my sister, of course). It has been a handy product since then. Lip and Cheek tints are either liquid, gel or cream-type and they, usually, stay on long so I'm a very big fan. This one is cream type-Nature Republic's Baby Tok Lip and Cheek Tint #5 (Baby Plum).  

 

Price: I'm not really sure but I think it's around 250-300 pesos

Colors: This was the only color that the store had so I'm not too sure about the other colors

=(

Swatches

Pros:

1. Cute case, which was the first thing I noticed. It's name and the flower design are both embossed.

2. It's very blendable, whether if you use a sponge or your finger. It's consistency and texture is almost like a lipstick's.

3. Stays on long. It can last for a whole day.

4. It's scented but not a weird smell... I can't say for sure what it smells like exactly, though.

Cons:

1. Anything on a pot is hardly hygienic, so that's one con for me. There are times when unknown fibers get buried in the cream blusher. That's what I use the sponge (from my Careline blusher) for. And it fits almost perfectly inside.

2. Colors shipped here are limited (to one?) so I hardly know if I would get to try the other colors...it's a good thing I like purple-ish tones of blushers more since it looks better on my yellowish skin than pink blushers.

3. It's quite drying when put on the lips but good sheer purple-ish color

Other than that, I'm very happy with the tint and will continue to use it, but maybe more as a blusher. =)

Have you tried the other colors? What were they like? Shoot me a message! Cheerio.