BDJ Box Loot Bag: A Quick Post

What's inside the BDJ Box Loot Bag, you ask? :)

1. Women's Health and Cosmopolitan Magazines

2. Garnier Skin Naturals: Pure Active Energizing Facial Foam

3. Bifesta Cleansing Wipes and Cleansing Lotion (Makeup Remover)

4. Cover Girl Clump Crusher Mascara

5. Cure Natural Aqua Gel

6. Too Cool For School Makeup Remover

7. Yves Rocher Cleansing Wipes

8. Goody Hair Tie

9. Bifesta Hair Band

10. Revlon Nail Polish

11. Celeteque Brightening Cream

12. Celeteque Ultra Hyrdrating Cleansing Oil

13. Celeteque Acne Cleansing Gel

14. Celeteque Facial Moisturizer Gel

Brochures and photos from the photobooth

Haven't tried any of the items but I'm very much keen on the Cover Girl mascara and the Bifesta makeup remover - heard great reviews on both. As for Celeteque, I've been a user for 5 years already - facial wash, toner and moisturizer and it really cleanses my skin so I'm curious as to what the other products on their Dermo Science line would bring. 

This is all for now, will be posting reviews on my haul soon :)

BDJ Box Beauty Social Primp and Prettify

Last September 29 I attended the BDJ Box Beauty Social Primp and Prettify event held at the Skydome in SM North Edsa.

BDJ or Belle de Jour, is famous for their planners every year. I had one last 2011 but haven't repurchased since I don't usually use planners for my everyday to do's. Anyway, BDJ Box is a sample box that is purchased for PHP 500-600.00 every month, which includes different skin care and makeup products for trial. 

The BDJ Box Beauty Social event sponsored free talks given by the different brands that they've tied up with.

These talks are pre registered and is in a first come first serve basis. I was accepted for two talks; Ready for Anything Skin with Shiseido and Max Factor's How Do I Look.

Ready for Anything Skin with Shiseido

Ms. Carmel Villongco, the Training Manager of Shiseido Philippines

Ms. Carmel talked about the different skin problems that ladies ages 18-35 experience. There are a lot of factors that contribute to acne and break outs experienced by a lot of women, brought about by unhealthy lifestyle, pollution and stress, to name a few. Given this situation, Shiseido, one of the leading brands in skin care, introduced a new line which would help to attain a smoother, clearer skin - the Shiseido Ibuki.

These photos were taken from their Powerpoint presentation.

I personally have break outs every now and then and I think this skin care line would definitely help prevent acne and help in fading away my acne scars. I've read a review from Project Vanity's Liz Lanuzo and the products seem promising though it sure is expensive.

Cleanse, Soften and Moisturize - I've heard of the two but soften, that's new and I want to try it out. :)

Max Factor's How Do I Look?

 Bobby Carlos of Max Factor, makeup artist

Bobby's talk was about finding the right foundation / base makeup suited for our skin tone. He shared that when testing foundation shades, the application should be on the jawline to see if it best matches the skin. One should also know if the body is acidic - meaning the color oxidizes once applied. People who are acidic should buy a foundation that is 1 or 2 shades lighter so when it oxidizes, it would match your skin color.

Bobby also introduced Max Factor's newest product which is the CC Cream. CC stands for Color Correct which would even out the skin giving a flawless look. CC Creams are available in all Max Factor outlets nationwide.

After the talks, I met with the girls and roamed around the different booths, had our pictures taken and took advantage of the free mocktails served lol.

From L-R: Myself, Jhessica, Roxy, Monika and Lean

 Covergirl

Garnier

Shiseido

Too Cool for School Korean Makeup

Bifesta

Free skin analysis from Celetque

There are a lot of freebies as well - free hair color from Revlon, free makeovers, hair straightening or perming for a day, photobooths and mocktails. There's also a loot bag given at the end of the event (which would be featured in the next post.) I've learned so much from this affair, was introduced to a lot of other brands and met a few girlies. Truly a memorable experience for me :)

Our picture taken from the photobooth :)

August - September Makeup Haul :)

I know, I haven't written in weeks. September kept me busy with quarter end deadlines at work, catching up with friends and various activities. Though of course there's always enough time to squeeze in some makeup shopping.

I most specially enjoyed window shopping for makeup. I'm now in that stage where I want to experiment and try different products like bright lipstick shades and other eyeshadow pigments. So here is my August - September makeup haul, my biggest buy as of to date:

1. Palladio Herbal Foundation - A friend of mine from college introduced me to Rice Powder, produced from the same brand. Palladio products are non-comedogenic, which is the number one factor I look for in the items I directly apply on my face. Rice Powder did not break me out and it helped mattify my oily skin. So if that worked for me, why not try the other products from their line. So last March I purchased my first ever Palladio Foundation to test on my skin and I must say this is my holy grail foundation! (Okay stop blabbering, more of the Palladio Foundation on my upcoming review very soon) This is a re-purchase and my 2nd tube already. I am in the shade #8 or Golden Beige, their darkest shade so far. This retails for PHP 595.00 and can be found at all branches of Beauty Bar, nationwide.

2. Palladio Herbal Primer - This is my first primer purchase. Since Palladio worked on my skin, I just went ahead and bought this as a base for my makeup. Retails for PHP 685.00.

3. NYX Powder Blush in PB25 Pinched - I was browsing through an online store recommended by one of the Pinay YouTube beauty gurus and came across NYX products. NYX opened in Manila last June or July in SM North and now they have opened another branch in SM Fairview, just minutes away from where I live. But I bought this item and one more online. I've read a couple of reviews for this blush and they say it's a dupe for NARS Orgasm (which I haven't tried yet). This will also be reviewed in the upcoming posts. Retails for PHP 250.00 and can be bought at NYX Stores in SM North and SM Fairview, and also through this trusted online shop, Chic Cosmetics.

4. NYX Lipstick in Frappucino - An everyday nude lippie with a hint of shine. PHP 250.00 from Chic Cosmetics as well.

5. Charm Powder Brush - I've heard about Charm brushes and read good reviews. This is a powder brush but not as fluffed and round tipped as what I hoped for, so I'm using this as a contour brush. Purchased from Sample Room, but since I have earned points from my previous review, I got this for free and only paid for the shipping fee of PHP 100.00.

6. Props Tools and Cosmetics Eye Shadow Palette with Lipstick and Blush - I got this one from the Beauty Fair I recently went to. This is a good buy since it has a wide range of colors (blues, greens, etc), though most of it are earth tones. With a variety of lipsticks and blushes, you can't go wrong with PHP 750.00, sulit na sulit! I've also heard good reviews about this brand from different Pinay YouTube beauty gurus. Check Props Tools Facebook here, and their website here.

7. Body Shop All-In-One BB Cream - I am not a fan of BB Creams especially since I think it works just the same as a foundation does. This is my first purchase of a BB Cream and I wouldn't worry of breaking out since Body Shop is a tried and tested brand for my skin type and all their products are non-comedogenic, at least that's what the saleslady told me. I am in the shade # 03, their darkest shade yet. I got this one for half off the price, from PHP 1,195.00 to PHP 597.00.

8. Blue Hair Bling - I have been browsing an online store for weeks and their products caught my attention - to hair buns, makeup storage, makeup brushes and now they've even ventured to makeup itself. They have a 120-piece eyeshadow palette, 10-piece blush palette and they have the 3-piece blush, contour and highlight palette. Their items are affordable and I've read a lot of positive testimonials about their products and the online shop itself. This retails for PHP 100.00, you can check Miss Bella PH here.

9. Black Hair Bun Maker - Purchased from Miss Bella as well, this is only for PHP 75.00. A good hair accessory especially for bad hair days.

That concludes my August-September makeup haul. I admit I spent a lot :( I should save more moving forward though I can't resist at times lol. There are so many products and brands, but I think this'll be the last bunch of makeup I'll purchase for this year (as if hahaha!). But the one product I would really like to have is the Naked 1 Palette. Maybe as a Christmas gift for myself? We'll see. :)

Ms. Shebby Liquete's Birthday Meet and Greet

Last August 25, I had the opportunity to meet another YouTube beauty guru and it's none other than Ms. Shebby Liquete.

Visit her YouTube and Facebook. I came across her YouTube channel last year and haven't stopped following her. The tutorials are quick and easy to follow. Shebby's videos and tutorials are more for everyday makeup than avant garde.

The meet and greet was held at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Trinoma. It was a more intimate gathering than the one I attended with Ms. Bing Castro's.

Shebby talked about her skin care regimen. She uses Garnier for her oily-combination skin and when she has break outs from trying on new makeup, she uses Mint Julep Masque. Before I used Mint Julep Masque, one of the reviews that I read was Shebby's - just a side note.

She also talked about making a DIY makeup remover - 3/4 water and 1/4 olive oil. To make eyelashes fuller and longer, she uses Sunflower Oil from Human Nature. Shebby's tip for false eye lashes is to cut the lash band 3/4's its size to fit the lash line and her recommended lash glue is the one from Saizen / Daiso.

For face makeup, Shebby uses the a concealer from Naturactor, specifically the green concealer to hide red blemishes. After applying foundation and finishing her makeup, she sets everything with a setting spray (brand not mentioned) to hydrate the face and keep the makeup intact.

She also mentioned that she's fond of coloring her hair and hair extensions. For the meet and greet, she used a hazel brown, long, curly hair extension to top off her floral dress.

Her tip in editing videos - start first with Windows Movie Maker for it is not as complicated as other video editors. She used to do Vlogs but I think she stopped for a while when someone was bashing her son online.

She also talked about other YouTube beauty gurus - Ana, Michelle and Noe, and how they get together from time to time. I think they've already done a collaboration in the past.

Shebby is very friendly and you can easily talk to her, just like Bing. The girls I met are all nice as well and some of them even added me on Facebook. Here's some of the pictures we took during the event:

Shebby

My Instagram photo

 Shebby's selfie together with her subbies

Hoping to meet more YouTube beauty gurus and fellow beauty enthusiasts in the future! :)

Colour Collection Vitamin E Lipstick in Red Wine: A Review

My first purchase from Sample Room PH! Yay! :)

I'm not into bold colors, especially red, but I figured every girl's gotta have her red lippie right? I've been meaning to buy MAC's Ruby Woo or RiRi Woo but MAC lipsticks are not within my budget (PHP 1,000.00 each, I know right?!). I've canvassed red lippies from Maybelline, Revlon and L'Oreal but everything seems expensive to me and I don't think I'll be able to use it frequently since I'm not into loud colors. I just need a red lipstick as a back up on lull days.

Anyway, I've come across the Colour Collection lipstick in Red Wine from Sample Room, as seen from my previous post. Here's what the package looked like:

The lipstick has great color pay-off. It is pigmented enough to last me for 4 hours straight except when I ate and drank water for it transferred on my mug. 

It is very moisturizing as well, and not at all drying. I didn't have what looked like chapped lips at the end of the day, though the color faded so I had to touch up after eating lunch. It has a glossy finish, and at first swipe you get enough color to cover your lips so the first application is enough for me.

I've been hearing about Colour Collection for the longest time but this is my first in trying one of their products. I'm very much satisfied from the color pigmentation and the moisture that it gives. Looking forward to trying more products from their makeup line.

Leaving you with the selfies I took while wearing the Red Wine lippie:

Red lips and biker jacket I got from Ukay-ukay. Happy Fridayyy~ :)

Sample Room PH: Try Before You Buy

I came across Sample Room through a recommendation of a friend, Jhessica. She has been using this for quite some time to acquire and rate different products.

Sample Room is Philippines' first ever beauty and lifestyle sampling website. It is an interactive community that offers FREE samples, localized product reviews and where all beauty lovers are valued (description taken from the website).

Upon registration you will be given a hundred points. You can then select any product you want. I opted for Colour Collection Vitamin E Lipstick in Red Wine (will be reviewed on the next post), which retails for PHP 330.00 but since I have earned 100 points from registering, I only paid for the PHP 100.00 shipping fee. This being said, I now only have 15 points. 85 points were consumed when I got the lipstick.

I've used the product for almost a week and then wrote a review on the site, though my review is still pending approval since I only wrote it this morning. I earned one (1) point for writing the review and will earn additional points once my review has been approved.

Here's a step-by-step on how Sample Room works (again, taken from the site itself):

1) Register - Register and be a Sample Room member! Being a member makes you qualified to get free samples from our website.

2) Get free points upon registration - Upon registration, you get 100 points to start your Sample Room adventure! These points can get you samples based on the sample roster that we have

3) Choose your sample - Each corresponding sample has a given number of points for it to be availed. Use your points to get the available samples.

4) Check out - Go to check out and pay for the shipping and handling fee.

5) Receive your samples - Samples arrive on your doorstep! Yay! Time to road-test your samples!

6) Post a review at SampleRoom.ph - Please rate and review on each of the products you have chosen to try.

7) Get points by reviewing, get a new sample to try - You earn more points as you rate and review a product. The points you earned will give you the opportunity to get more samples! The more samples you review, the more points you get, and that means more samples to try!

8) Buying of points - Should your points are not enough to get the samples that you want, Sample Room gives you an option to buy points and avail these samples! 

Sample Room products ranges from skin care to lifestyle:

Paying is hassle free as well - you can pay through bank deposit, Smart Money or Globe GCash. Once payment has been confirmed you will receive an email stating that your order is being processed. I ordered and paid on Thursday and the product was delivered on Saturday. Indeed a fast service!

Sample Room is an excellent online community where consumers can not only purchase free items but also get to see other people's views and opinions on certain products. I personally read reviews first before buying anything to see on how it worked for most of those who've tried it. Not only that, this site works locally. I could easily relate to the reviews especially for skin care - on what effect a certain product may have on a hot and humid, tropical weather that we have. It is also a great way to introduce new products in the market and a channel to meet bloggers throughout the country.

For more information about their products and services, visit Sample Room PH.

Flashback Friday: Last Summer Hurrah @ Bicol

The past week has been rough weather-wise. A typhoon has flooded most of Manila leaving thousands homeless. Schools throughout the metro have been suspended as well. It was a gloomy week alright. It stopped raining but it's still as cloudy - and there has been talk of yet another typhoon. :(

Blue sky, when will we see you again? It's been a long time. Taken during our trip back to Manila last May.

Murky days make me reminisce of the summer I had. Here's a look on my last trip with friends this summer.

Our friend Kath invited us to her hometown Virac, Catanduanes. We stayed at Rakdell Hotel, their family business. You can check their Facebook here.

Since plane tickets were a bit expensive for our budget, we opt for a cheaper ride instead. We left at around 5:00pm on a Thursday afternoon aboard RSL Bus Line at Cubao. We arrived at Legaspi Port after 12 hours.

 

 Perfect cone of Mayon Volcano @ Tabaco Port.

From Legaspi Port, we rode a ferry going to Virac and it took about 4 hours for us to get to our destination. (as if a 12-hour bus ride isn't enough). Tired and hungry, but the trip was well worth it. We were greeted by Kath and her mom, the hospitable hotel staff and of course the welcome wouldn't be complete without a delicious meal on Rakdell's rooftop.

After lunch we toured downtown Virac, Bato Church, water falls and the nearby beach.

At the foot of Bato Church, Virac, Catanduanes. With my friends Chalet, Ice and Kath.

Bato Church

A nearby beach resort just minutes away from the hotel.

The next day was the highlight of our trip. We went to Caramoan Islands in Camarines Sur, which is an hour boat ride from Virac. The islands were also featured in Survivor, a reality show. Check out Survivor Caramoan here.

With Mark, Ice's boyfriend and our photographer. Taken during our boat ride from Virac to Caramoan.

 

A breath-taking view.

Eating pancit on the beach. Yum!

I miss swimming!

Going back to Virac on a late afternoon.

This has been one of the memorable trips that I had. I surely miss the beach - sun, sand and sea salt in my hair. Even if it's raining puppies and kittens, my mind drifts off to places such as this. 

Okay, enough musings for now. I shall get back to work.

"After every storm the sun will smile; for every problem there is a solution, and the soul's indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer. - William R. Alger"