Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock

Summer time may be over but don't forget to use sunblock! 

Back in college when I was shooting a documentary for my thesis, me and my thesis mates spend a huge chunk of our time basking under the sun and we'd get sun burn, my face, neck and arms would be hot, sore and red all over. That's when I realized the importance of protecting my skin. That's when I got to the habit of using sunblock to prevent wrinkles but I don't like the greasy feel of the usual sunblock, what do I do? Opt for the spray version. 

I got this at S&R in the pharmacy area for approx. Php999. Sometimes it also goes on sale, it goes Php100-Php200 cheaper so it's also a good idea to check it out during sale period BUT always check the expiration. This pack is value for your money, you get two bottles of the fresh cooling sunblock, one travel size ultra sheer sunblock and one Norwegian formula lip balm (my fave!).

I think the fresh cooling body mist is less sticky as compared to the original body mist. I tried both and I always go back to the fresh cooling variant. A can lasts me for 3-4 months. The travel size ultra sheer sunblock is very handy, it saved me a lot of luggage space and weight during my travels. I've been using Neutrogena's lipbalm since grade school and I was really sad when it was discontinued, I've been hopping from one lip balm to another but it's just not the same. Good thing S&R came to the rescue by offering this sunblock pack!

My Lippie Collection

I haven't blogged for a looong time! 

It feels refreshing to do this again, I'm just warming up for a bit.

For now I'll post my ever growing lip product collection, from lip balms, to lipsticks to lip glosses.

 I still have a handful in their boxes (meaning I haven't used them yet)

P.S. I have removed other lip products I am not using.

FOTD: Simply Primped and Polished

This would be one of the rarest times Maquillage Lover puts up an FOTD! 

After doing this makeup I felt it looks simple and yet pretty so I'd like to share this with you.

Japanese make up makes the prettiest sheer color;

it gives an illusion as if you're wearing almost nothing at all but you look so primp and polish with just a light touch of color here and there.

Just the way I like my makeup! Not too over done with shocking colors but not too bare that my eye bags are saying hello to the world!

I made this FOTD last Sunday before going out.

Here's the product lineup:

Shiseido eyelash curler, Taiwan version

Shu Uemura Pro Concealer 

UDPP in Eden

Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus

Jill Stuart Jewel Crystal Eyes in Princess Sapphire

Jill Stuart Eye Jelly in Midnight Shine

Jill Stuart lipstick in Baby Coral

Shiseido PN Primalise Gloss

Kiehl's lip balm #1

Jill Stuart Moist Silk Liquid Foundation 

Benefit 10

Jill Stuart Mix Blush in Fresh Apricot

Where I've Been to These Past Few Days

Wooh! It's been very hot and humid these past few days. Sometimes it's not the heat that's bothersome but the high humidity level we have here in the Philippines that's unhealthy and uncomfortable. 

We went somewhere very near to the beach in Subic but we didn't get to go to the beach, it did brought me to tears because the last time I went to the beach was more than 10 years ago. 

We had to cancel it so we would make it to the US warship tour (which doesn't interest me) but invitation to highly restricted areas comes once or twice in a lifetime. 

We aren't really allowed to take photos but one of the head gave us the liberty to do so.

I have a lot more photos but as courtesy I'd restrict releasing so much especially those taken inside the captain's room and other control rooms which are awesome! That's all I can say. My lips are sealed =p

But I think these harmless fun facts won't hurt:

It's like a whole new city inside, you'll get lost very easily.

They have a nice hospital inside complete with ICU section

They also have morgues inside, it's creepy but I think it's very very cool and considerate because I get the point if you're away for months from the land and you suddenly die, they give due care and respect to the dead who did great service to their country. 

They have a library and computer room where the crew can use the computers to get in touch with their loved ones. 

They have barbershops too, but I wonder if there's a salon for the women because I saw a lot of women too.

They have Vendo machines but you have to use an issued card in order to buy- meaning no outsiders could get to use the Vendo.

What's cool is that their Vendo sells everything from chips to toothbrush but of course these are in separate Vendo machines. 

They get TV signals especially the Manny Pacquiao fights in live streaming.

Food and drinks are great- The head was hospitable and we were invited to eat and drink to get the experience of being part of the US Navy but we didn't get a lot since we're not really doing anything to benefit from the US taxpayers' money. I see how Philippine politicians pocket the taxpayers' money without doing much service to the county and how we taxpayers suffer so it's not right to do it to other people when you know how it feels to be robbed. 

I love the trip but I would love to go to the beach, still. 

I didn't get to put on make up that day because I thought we were going to the beach when they canceled it when we're leaving the house. Good thing I brought my Jill Stuart Day Care Essence with SPF30, Kanebo powder, Clinique lipgloss and Kiehl's lipbalm so I'm pretty much all set.

*****

LBC shipment has arrived last Monday! ^.^ Another reason for being busy sending packages.

I've been double wrapping everything especially Alice in Wonderland because I want them to arrive in the safest condition possible. I enjoyed wrapping one in bubble wrap because it's so plump you can already use it as a pillow :)) You almost can't see through due to the layers of bubble wrap and extra styro lining inside.

This package has arrived just tonight to it's lucky and nice owner in Baguio City ^.^ 

Carmex Click Stick Lip Balm in Cherry

Carmex Lip balms has been one of my HG lip balm. It is cheap and yet it performs like any other high end lip balms I have tried. This can be bought at Personal Care Xchange (PCX) and in First Aid in Greenbelt for Php80.00


There are two thing I am looking for in a lip balm:
1. Moisturizes for a long period of time
2. Has SPF


Bingo! Carmex has this all. I particularly like Carmex Click Stick in Cherry because of it's yummy cherry flavor but with a hint of mint. 

Here's what Carmex says:

• Cherry flavor in a solid stick
• Moisturizing lip balm
• Non-addictive and not tested on animals -> Yey!
• Contains SPF 15 sunscreen
• Available in .15 oz. stick

KEEPS LIPS SOFT

Alleviates the roughness of dry lips. 

PROTECTS FROM WIND AND SUN

Replaces moisture and protects from sunburn. 

HELPS HEAL CHAPPED LIPS

Contains germ-killing menthol and phenol, speeding the healing process. 

It also has two active ingredients: Octinoxate and Oxybenzone, two sunscreen agents

My Reviews

For lip balms, I truly prefer stick lip balms than tube or tub lip balms for hygienic purposes and convenience. I do not like dipping my finger on the tub just to get some lip balm or put so much effort in squeezing lip balm out of the tube especially when it's running low.  like the click stick more because it helps you regulate the amount of lip balm you're twisting out. 

The formula lasts for several hours, this performs a lot better than my Philosophy Kiss Me Lip balm to be honestly speaking. I usually use this as a base before putting on pigmented lip sticks because it won't make the lip stick bleed or run unlike Kiehl's lip balm. Carmex lip balm just has the right consistency- it's not too waxy and not too oily. 

Kiehl's Lip Balm#1

I bought this in Harbor City in Hong Kong, there's a Kiehl's store inside the mall.

When I first went in there, the first thing I noticed is that the SAs are very nice, the one who assisted me is named Joey. She was very patient when I was taking a look inside their store and picking up products then putting them down. When I saw the Kiehl's lip balm # 1, I thought to myself I need to try this because I have been using Philosophy Kiss Me lip balm for several years now and I wanted to try another lip balm.

I wanted to get the mint variant but Joey told me it was out of stock so I picked another flavored one and it was still out of stock. I had a run down of all the flavors and all are out of stock! Haha! So I just picked the original unflavored one. I asked Joey if she could call the other Kiehl's branches in Hong Kong to check if they have other flavors and she patiently did, unfortunately all the other flavors are depleted in the entire Hong Kong that fateful day of April 7, 2009! Amazing! (I can't even forget the date =p)

So I settled for this one, I bought this for HK$75.00

Like it's outer packaging, the design is very simple. There's no applicator, just a simple hole to squeeze the product out. The first time I used this though oil came out instead of the thicker consistency lip balm usually has but that is understandable especially if the stock has been around for a while.

Patting this on my lips is heaven! I am a lip balm junkie but I have never felt such moisturizing and conditioning to my lips until this came along. I would use this at night to condition my lips and when I wake up in the morning my lips are very soft and supple- plus the lip balm still stays put all night long! I have not experienced this kind of lip balm in my entire life. A good metaphor would be this is like butter melting on your lips!

There's no weird petroleum jelly smell; it just smells like nothing so it's a plus point for me especially if a lip balm does not have any flavors at all. I also use this on top my lipstick to condition my lips.

However I find the formula quite runny and it will go around your face if you put too much so I resolved this by just patting a bit on and smack my lips to distribute the lip balm. This method saves you more lip balm and it would not make your lipstick bleed too! =)

Just to show you how nice Joey is despite the stuffs I asked her to do and then just buy one product, she even gave me a freebie of Kiehl's Yerba Mate Tea Toner sample to compensate not having the mint flavored lip balm I want! She's a local Hong Kong but talking to her is a breeze despite the language barrier, I am Cantonese by blood but I grew up here in the Philippines so I am more fluent in Fookien, Filipino and English (and a bit on Mandarin and Cantonese), I talked to her in my barok (crooked) Mandarin (mixed with a bit of Filipino, it just comes natural haha) but she still understood me! Then she was talking to me in her barok English just so we could communicate =p If only I could see ourselves talking, it's so cute! =p I do not mean to insult her that she speaks in barok English, I also make fun of myself when I can't speak in straight Mandarin haha!

So if you're in Harbour City just check out Kiehl's and look for Joey if she's still around =) She's one of the nicest Hong Kong person I know and she's very pretty too!

MAC Haul and MAC Rockwell Review

Today I went to Rockwell in Makati to check out MAC's latest store since a lot are saying that the staffs are friendlier than the ones in Glorietta where I had two horrible customer service experiences. I was supposed to go to Shangri-La but a fellow Girltalker told me that Carlos, the very friendly SA, has his day-off on Tuesdays but I don't have any free day but today. Plus I have to drop by PCX to buy my HG Carmex Lipbalm Php80.

Since I was waiting for the Stila smudge pot I reserved since early October but there’s still no sign of delivery and Lara of Shangri-La told me on the phone stocks would probably come around the end of November. Aah! I can’t wait that long! =’( So I decided to buy MAC’s Fluidline in Blacktrack since there is only a slight price difference.

Upon walking towards MAC my heart jumped at the sight of Magic, Mirth and Mischief’s poster! Haha! I’m such a junkie! Entering MAC Rockwell, it looks a lot darker and sophisticated. There was not a customer in sight so I thought, great! Now I can have the SA all for myself! Just kidding… But I do prefer talking to SAs alone since they would attend to your needs better that way and you’ll end up buying the right shade.

The SA who assisted me is Raymond and he is very nice and accommodating; I played a lot with their lipstick since I was planning to buy one (Just one! I’m a good girl). I even got to swatch my Shu Uemura RD 165 lipstick and place it side by side with MAC Red and Russian Red. I was surprised to find out that MAC Red is Shu Uemura RD 165’s dupe! Russian Red looked orangey compared to Shu RD165 and MAC Red. Raymond helped me by correcting my notion that Russian Red is not quite a blue-red; when I swatched Russian Red, it does not look blue-red when compared to Mac Red so he suggested that if I want a blue-red I might as well go for Mac Red. Good news for me though because Shu Uemura RD 165 is a completely identical with MAC Red! =)

Raymond was very funny; I was asking if he could find me a pink-peach shade. He first handed me MAC in Sweetie and I swatched it, I thought it looks a bit pale on my hand so I asked for others until my hand was almost filled with swatches! I should have taken a picture of it. He was very patient with me though we can’t find anything close to a coral shade. Raymond was teasing me “Ate, nachachallenge naman ako” haha! My boyfriend started pitching in by saying the red hues look the same but Raymond and I were saying “No it does not look the same!” I had a very light and fun experience at MAC Rockwell. In the end I got Sweetie; the first one he recommended me.

What’s more commendable with the Rockwell branch is that they sanitize the lipstick in front of you when you want to swatch it on your lips; I have not encountered this kind of customer service in Glorietta.

In the end I got MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack Php1100 and MAC lipstick in Sweetie Php970.

Before I go, I asked if I can sign up for their contact list of clients to update of upcoming deliveries and they do have that service. Hurrah! =) That is also something I was denied of in MAC Glorietta.

I give MAC Rockwell 5 star points.

Reviews for the MAC products and Carmex lip balm coming soon! =) 


For those wondering about MAC's telephone number when you want to inquire at your home's convenience
( I know I did before), here's the list: 
MAC Rockwell Tel. #8982045
MAC Shangri-La Tel.# 6319310
MAC Glorietta Tel. # 8128265
MAC Mall of Asia Tel. # 5560422

Dry Lips on a Dentist Trip? + Ghostly Encounter

I just came home from the dentist today! Two days ago I found a black hole on my irregular wisdom tooth, I am very hard headed in NOT having to operate on it because it grew horizontally instead of vertically and I have a gap in between my molar and my wisdom tooth so when I chew food particles often get stuck in between. It’s quite ironic because I’m very obsessed with having clean teeth and I always check on that gap and pick out food particles stuck on it.

When my dentist cleaned that gap out there was still some food particle stuck and I saw the hole and it’s really huge that my knees became weak! I thought it was painful, it looks painful! I never had cavities that big because I’m very obsessive compulsive about my teeth and when a small cavity surfaces I immediately go to my dentist to have it treated and filled. The weird thing is that when I poke it with something I don’t feel any pain at all.

One tip I can give is when you’re planning a trip to the dentist, do check your own set of teeth out and look for cavities yourself because sometimes the dentist could miss out on a small detail that only you could initially notice. The most noticeable cavity I had today was the huge one and I saw a small one surfacing on my left molar but my dentist didn’t see it because it was so tiny, haha. So I let my dentist know and he also filled it up before it gets worst.

Apply a good lip balm that would last you long enough so you won’t feel any drying on your lips when it is time to open your mouth for a long time. In this case I was planning to use my Kiehl’s Lip Balm # 1 because I swear by its long lasting power.

However I was in a hurry already so I just grabbed my everyday lip balm Philosophy Kiss Me in Pink which didn’t last me long enough. What I did was when my dentist is not looking because it seems strange, I dip my fingertip on the surface of the water in a cup and dab it on my lips to relieve the dryness.

Hope it helps once you pay your dentist a visit! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh yeah, since Halloween is fast approaching, I had a bit of ghostly encounter today. My dentist is located in an old building in Chinatown so before my mother and I left the clinic we borrowed the key to the comfort room (the comfort room is always locked to avoid outsiders using the comfort room). There is a narrow hallway going to the comfort room and we have to turn left to reach the hallway.

When we turned left, I was a bit surprised to see an old woman standing in the middle of the old hallway in a praying position and just looking straight; I was puzzled why the woman was standing there doing nothing, what’s more peculiar is her outfit. She wore a formal party dress of a blood red top and intense black long skirt, her hair is made up and she has heavy make-up on. Most of the people in Chinatown only wear the simplest clothes like slippers, t-shirt and shorts so it was very puzzling to see a fully made up woman in an old medical building. My mother and I told her “Excuse me” so we could pass through the narrow hallway and she moved in a slow pace because of old age. When I was about to insert the key to the lock, my mother turned to look at the woman again (perhaps because of her outfit) she was surprised to see her gone!

When we checked back we didn’t find her anywhere. She was standing at the middle of the hallway and the short time we turned back would not allow her to quickly move away. We did not hear any door from the clinics shut close nor did we hear footsteps to the stairs. My mother had goose bumps all over but I just calmly told her let’s just do our thing in the comfort room so we could go.

Why are ghosts coming out? This week I just saw my father’s doppelganger climbing up the stairs and I really thought it was him because he was wearing my father’s signature house outfit: checkered short, brown slippers and no top; his back is really my father’s back with all the curves and ‘love handle’! Last night my little mini pin Brownie woke up looking surprised and he was very angry at something that he was barking so loud; he went ballistic and chased something in thin air. 

Wow, all those times I was being haunted in the darkroom during my photography days did pay off! LOL

First Post! Introductions...

My initial idea for this blog is that it will be my data base for the products I've used, there will be reviews on the product itself, packaging, price and where to buy so when I'm lemming for something I can just look back and see related posts.

Due to the command of my OC self, I've accumulated several posts of reviews in my multiply site so I want to transfer all of it here along with proper labels and tags, hurrah!

My love for make up started with a small dab of lipgloss on me when I was around 9 or 10 years old by my cousin since then I didn't stop looking through her bag for more lipgloss and lip balms but of course things change and other priorities took my attention away from make up but despite the years of not paying much attention, here I am coming back to what I love the most!