FOTD: The Natural Source Caramel Lip Balm Bubble

Don’t you just love the cold spells this January?  The scarves and jackets come out, the electric fan and AC get to retire for a while, and you have more reason to snooze snugly under the sheets.

But if there’s anything that I don’t like about the cold weather, is the damage that it does to your lips. Eversince this unexpected icy-cold breeze swept into our Tropical country,  I have parked my lipstick for a while and have reunited with my good old lip balm.

I use The Natural Source’s Caramel Lip Balm  Bubble (Try saying that 10 times!). I’ve actually had this for quite a while. Who wouldn’t? It’s the chubbiest fattest lip balm in the planet! This thing just wouldn’t run out! Don’t believe me? Take a look…

I like the subtle caramel flavor and that it really does the job of moisturizing my lips. I also notice that aside from the gloss, it leaves a little reddish tint… which is kinda weird cause its yellow. I forget how much this thing costs though.

I just have two complaints about this product. First, since it’s so darn big, it takes forever to finish one bubble . And since you have it for quite a long time you’re not so sure if the product is still good or has gone past its expiration date. Second, since it’s packaged in a huge bubble with just a little opening, you can’t help but dip your finger in it to scoop up some product. So with that alone, it doesn’t exactly rate high in the hygienic department.

But if moisturizing is your thing, this baby definitely does the job for yah. You can bid that dry lip bye-bye with just a sweep of this balm. It comes in spearmint and banana variants too. I luuuurve spearmint! Unfortunately, it was out of stock at that time. For more info about the product, here’s a few things I picked up from the website.

Size

50gm/2.12 oz

What it is?

Deliciously scented lip balm bubble to thoroughly protect and moisturise delicate lip area. Contains sunscreen to protect from damaging UVA and UVB rays.

What it does?

• Nourishes and moisturises lips.
• Protects the delicate lip area from UV damage.
• Sweet natural fragrance makes bubble a pleasure to use.
• Sturdy and attractive packaging for everyday use. Perfect to keep in your handbag or desk drawer.
• Suitable for all age groups including children.

How to use

Apply a small amount to lips and gently massage.

When to use

As often as desired.

Main active ingredients

Vitamin E – An effective natural antioxidant. Protects skin and maintains suppleness

Castor Oil – Soothes skin and provides a naturally glossy look.

Caramel – Vitamin-packed, sweet scent.

So there… The Natural Source is actually a very good brand in my opinion. Even if I have some minor peeves here and there. The store itself gives off a yummy colorful candy-store like feel. The brand prides itself for what they call Australian Naturopathic Beauty.

Other products that I’ve tried from TNS are; the Bath Bubble Passionfruit, (which I still have in my shower caddy, it’s a delish smelling shower gel inside a ball with tiny glitters inside), the metallizer for eyes, lips & body (nice to have but I hardly ever use it) and the Pure Mineral Powder in Cinnamon which I’ve used up but I’ve never made up my mind if it’s worth repurchasing.

The Natural Source stores are located in Trinoma, Bonifacio High Street, SM Cebu and Glorietta.

Rustan’s End of Season Sale

Chances are, I probably won’t be able to hit this sale but just wanted to give you guys a heads up. Besides payday is coming up real soon and it’s not everyday that Rustan’s offers up to 60% off! Enjoy the sale people

FOTD: Elianto Eyeshadow Duo

Got an Elianto baked eyeshadow duo last December. I know…I know….this entry is loooong overdue. Well, you’ll see later why I’m not too excited to blog about this, that I even had to wait this long.

If you remember, I already have this duo in brown as mentioned in a previous blog . Although the packaging is cute and I love the color combination, the color payoff is not that superb. If there’s anything Elianto can still work on, as far as eyeshadows are concerned, its the pigmentation. Here are some close-ups:

Comes in a box like this

Out-of-the-box

Cute huh? It’s like a little frosted bubble. I swear when these guys we’re developing the product, they probably had Mac Sea & Sky in mind. Dupe? for the packaging, possibly. But product-wise, not so. I tried swatching Sea & Sky while I was at the MAC store and that thing definitely packs a punch of color! It’s amaaaazing!

Mac Sea & Sky. Gorgeous huh? (Photo courtesy of www.beautynomics.com)

Going back, here are the swatches. Like I said, I’m not too happy with the color payoff. It just looks like a bunch of glitters.

But even if this product is not getting some love from me, being that its pigment-ally challenged and all (if there is such a term. LOL), this duo still makes for a nice back-up shadow and actually makes for a good highlighter on top of your eyeshadow to add that little frosted finish.

That’s it. Catch ya’ll later Beauties.

Suesh featured Lootwagon link

Thanks to Suesh for featuring a link of Lootwagon in their site

Looking forward to the make-up workshop this March and getting my hands on those delish brushes!

Topshop’s end of season sale

For Topshop lovers, here’s the sale for yah

FOTD: Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencils

Thanks again to Arwen for letting me try my first ever Urban Decay products! Funny, we literally just swapped presents before she had to run-off to the airport for her flight back to Sing. LOL.

She also gave me chocolate, chocolate chip cookies and large paperclips! See…I have a thing for cute paperclips. Arwen would know that. hehe.

Unfortunately, I can’t show the chocolates anymore as these are already swimming in the abyss…that is my tummy.  As for the lovely bookmark paperclips, left ‘em in the office. I’ll show you that next time. On to the product review…

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils

She got me the Yeyo shade (white) and 1999 shade (purple). Both are frosted and glide on very easily. It packs in a lot of color with just one stroke.

Here are the swatches. Take note, these things do not rub-off easily, infact they’re not called 24/7 for nothing!

Website say:

“The best Eye Pencil ever, ever, ever! Never before has a pencil this creamy and brilliant been waterproof, too. Velvety-soft, this never-before-seen formula stays soft and creamy for blending (about 30 seconds), then dries down to a long-lasting finish that WILL NOT budge. Line eyes with a hint of color or go for the full artistic, multi-hued effect with the wide selection of lush tropical hues, deep metallics and unusually vibrant neutrals. Incredible with Urban Decay Eyeshadows!”

Here is the purple liner on my upper lashline. Used the white one on the corner of my eyes but it’s not that visible here. By the way, I used my old Lancome palette for the eyes.  Sorry, don’t know the exact shades as the label sticker on the back got ripped. Bummer. Used Lashblast on my lashes.

That’s about it for today. Stay beautiful ladies

Skin Food Loot

I was super ecstatic when I got to take home this yummy gift set yesterday! Thanks of course to the one who gave it to me. You know who you are girl! This definitely made my day!

Apple Vinegar Water Foam

This product is a facial foam cleanser (which is ironic because it doesn’t foam at all). It definitely smells a lot like imported shampoo. Kinda like Jergens. Even the bottle looks like a shampoo bottle! I better remind Hub not to use it on his scalp while in the shower.

It doesn’ t lather like most facial cleansers that I’m used to. But what I especially like about this product is that it doesn’t take a lot of rinsing to strip my face off all that gook that I put on everyday. So that is definitely a plus for me. I have a feeling I’ll enjoy finishing this product down to the last drop. Not sure though if I’m replenishing since Skin Food products are quite pricey.

That’s the product on my palm. Sorry I don’t know if you can even see it at all. It’s clear and very water-based, so don’t expect any cream or gel type of foam.

Oh! I did find something quite amusing while reading the back of the bottle.

SKINFOOD Apple Vinegar Water Foam

Water-type foam cleanser whose apple cider vinegar containing a large amount of potassium, minerals, and citric acid makes drab skin caused by horny substances smooth, and whose honey extract provides more moisture to your skin

Ano daw?! Did you just say horny substances? Gawd…I wouldn’t even want to process what that means! LOL. Okay moving on….

Skin Food Maltsugar Hard Wax

Since my hair is short, I definitely need products to tame the waves. Funny how more high-maintenance short hair can be. I used to have long straight hair and I didn’t even have to comb to keep it in place. Well.. I did have it rebonded so that’s kind of cheating I guess. hehe.

Anyhoo..I’ve hopped from one wax product to another. I’ve even tried clay which is never a good idea ladies! It’s like putting gum on your hair. But this one definitely ranks high in my list of great “hair-taming” products. For one thing I absolutely love the delicious smell! And unlike most waxes that are heavy and and sticky, this one is actually pretty light. Although it’s a little hard to scrape off from the jar, it gets easier to work with once its on your fingertips.

Here’s my freebie that I got in the gift set:

Water-in Pear Essence

Actually I wasn’t exactly sure what this product was at first.  But reading the back of the sample with some talk about this product being good for soothing skin damage and dry skin, than I assume it’s a moisturizer. Have yet to try it.

So there. That’s my Skin Food loot! Sorry no prices available because like I said, I just got these babies for free. Do share with me please if you get to know how much these are to feed my curiosity.

Gorgeous gal Kimberly Tia is actually a huge fan of this Korean skincare brand. Holler Mama! Love your blogs!

2009 Must-Have List

I don’t know if it’s a little too late for this one but since its just the 6th day of the 1st month of the year, I guess it’s not too late….

Since everybody’s cracking on their New Year’s resolutions, I’ll give it a Lootwagon twist and instead, just do a New Year’s Lemm/Must-Have list.  What can I say…a girl can dream can’t she?

1) New Laptop – Jupiter has been good to me but it’s just too darn heavy especially for travel! Case in point, my recent Cebu trip. I lugged this lappie on my Nike backpack and I ended up with a very sore back. I’m looking into a netbook that’s smaller, lighter but still packed with features. Course if it comes in a sassy color then that’s a plus! Something like this wouldn’t be too bad…

Lenovo Ideapad S10 is one of Lenovo’s newest net book series. Slim, light, easy to use.  Price is PHP 27,595. Aray! Check their website for specs.  Heard that it’s sibling, the S9 (photo below) isn’t available yet in local shores. 8.9inches and super lightweight. Hmmm…must be worth the wait.

Acer Aspire is also another cute option but I’ve been hearing a lot of rants about this gadget. But since Jupiter is an Acer and works pretty darn well based on my experience, I guess getting another one from the same brand shouldn’t be so bad.  Check site for details.

Photos courtesy of Lenovo and Acer website.

2) Bigger make-up collection – I am seriously hoping I can grow my collection this year. Some brands that I have my eye on are:

• MAC (MSFs, pigments, lippies, blusheyeshadows)
• NARS (deep throat or orgasm blush-on)
• Nyx (lippies! such gorgeous nude colors!)
• Urban Decay (I just got new eyeliners today thanks to fellow blogger Arwen who just flew back to Singapore this afternoon! Uber thanks Girl! Product review to follow!)
• Smashbox (eyeshadows, tints, lipgloss) – I saw this Rapture Lip Gloss set in Beauty Bar Trinoma yesterday and I absolutely drooled. I have a very strong feeling these babies will end up in my kikay kit very soon. LOL.

PHP 1,500 for the whole set at Beauty Bar

Photo courtesy of Smashbox website

• Milani (eyeshadows, bronzers, blushies)
• Benefit (coming soon!)
• Stila (smudgepots, lipglaze)
• Clinique (moisturizers and beauty products)
• VMV Hypoallergenics (Just found out recently that VMV is actually a Filipino brand. Don’t believe me? Check out this INQ article or best, Google it )
• Shu Uemura (eyelash curlers—definitely has a cult following.  Why else would they make a 24k limited edition version of it? Okay I probably wouldn’t go this far…Hub will kill me. LOL.

• The Body Shop (Minerals)
• Suesh Make-up brushes (I have a feeling that it won’t be long till I get my hands on these babies too. Thanks to the 15% coupon in my BDJ planner, which by the way I mentioned in my other blog. I’m contemplating on attending one of their workshops too. Which reminds me… I need to book a slot asap before I run out!)

5-piece set?…

…or 16-piece set? Gawd…this thing intimidates me!

3)  Organized Cosmetics stash – Course, once you’ve built your collection, you most definitely need quality storage. I saw something like this in Glorietta a few months back. If I remember it correctly it was around PHP 1,7oo plus.

4) Better wardrobe – My style is definitely laid back for two reasons…I do events so I’m always on my toes, plus I commute to work. So I keep dem’ sassy heels for special occasions. Daily staples are jeans, a snug top, Chucks. I don’t know if the 10 Basic Essentials that make up a wardrobe rule will actually work for me since I’m always on the go… but hey! I’m willing to give it a whirl. At least I already got numbers 1,5,6 and 8 down pat.

5) Nice Dresser – I am so lemming a nice dresser! A Hollywood star- like dresser with yellow bulbs has been sort of like a crazy fantasy of mine. Reality check…. mahal ang kuryente ngayon iha…so wag ka nang mag inarte ng pa-light bulb light bulb jan.

6) Plane Tickets – I actually don’t know where to go yet. All I know is, this year, it sure would be nice to travel more. Hmmm…come to think of it, since  Hub just got granted his US Visa, that could be a sign! Hey…We never know!

Yeah…that’s about it. Sigh. Sarap mag day-dream. So…how bout you? What are your Must-Haves this year?

FOTD: The Body Shop Concealer Pencil and blush-on tips

On Dec. 30, sis-in-law and I headed to Megamall to do some New Year’s grocery shopping for a Carbonara recipe that we prepared for Media Noche.  We dropped by The Body Shop to check out what’s new and I ended up buying a Concealer Pencil. It’s not the first time that I’ve used the product, as I had one back in College. I find that it easily erases flaws like acne marks and such, and that it’s easy to apply as compared to some concealers in the market that come in wands.

I put on a few swatches and I found that the 05 Crayon Corrector does the job for me. To show you how well it works, I’m doing the unthinkable and showing you photos of my bare face without make-up.

See, I had a pretty bad breakout recently, and I have a sneaking suspicion where I got it. Sadly, my MAC NC40 Pressed Powder doesn’t mesh well with my ultra-sensitive skin so I had to discontinue using it. Lesson learned, just because its expensive doesn’t mean it works, well at least for me.

Anyway, here goes:

Here’s my cheek with a few bad acne scars. That’s the bad part about using zit creams, especially Panoxyl. It does dry up acne fast, but do expect to see some dark spots after.

I just lightly glided the concealer pencil on my flaws and you can already see how it improved as the scars aren’t as visible anymore.

I put Elianto Sheer Loose powder (Waterproof) in 03 Natural Beige

to let it set in and see how it vanished? Oh! the powder has a lot of

shimmer in it, which explains the little glitter spots. Don’t mistake it for An-an. LOL.

Here’s the little miracle worker. Don’t mind my nicked mani. I swear nail polish really never stays long on my nails. Any tips how to make it last more than three days at least?

Damage for the product is PHP 695. If you plan to purchase it at Body Shop, make sure to try on swatches first because my skintone may not exactly match yours. Its best to swipe a tester on a particular flaw to see if it disappears in your skin and covers it well.

Oh! Before we left the store, I convinced sis-in-law to get a blush-on. Especially since it was on 50% off. I know! I’m not exactly one to say “Ay sister, recession ngayon. Magtipid tayo!” Tsk…Tsk….Bad Ate!

Although I’m not a big fan of pink shades, with this particular blush-on, as long as you apply it on lightly over your cheekbones, this actually gives-off a natural blushed look. Just be sure not to overdo it so you don’t end up looking like a clown. Sis got the Dessert Rose. Original price is PHP 1,195. The sale price is PHP 597.50. Not bad eh?

Speaking of blush-ons, I picked up a pretty good tip from lady online . I’m posting the guide that she shared in her blogsite. Hope you don’t mind Mama. This is really helpful stuff

FOTD: 4U2 Four Color Eyeshadow Art

I dropped by Watson’s in Market! Market! with the original plan of just buying toiletries for my Baguio trip. However, I got sidetracked when I happened to pass by the cosmetics section (who can resist?). Saw the usual brands Revlon, Loreal, Max Factor and local brands Nichido, EB and the like.

While browsing, what captured my interest is a shelf featuring an unfamiliar brand called 4U2. Apparently, these products are made in Thailand but distributed in the US under license by Bel Air USA Cosmetics. They launched the product in local shores through Watson’s.

I love the cute packaging and how easily blendable the eyeshadows are. They offer eyeshadows in delish colors! I tried on some swatches, and was absolutely thrilled as its highly-pigmented.

I got an “Impress” Four Color Eyeshadow Art palette. It combines all four colors in one pot so you just have to be a little careful where to position your brush so you don’t get it all mixed up right away.  Here are the product shots:

It comes in a clear plastic box

Cute huh? Love the polka dots. It so…New year’s-ish. LOL.

Comes with a mirror for easy touch-ups

Up close

All it took was one soft application to get these swatches. See how pigmented these are!

I love this eyeshadow quad and I highly recommend it! Damage for this product is PHP 424. It’s available in a green, blue and light brown palettes as well. You get a base color (old rose), a lid color (soft brown), a contour color (dark maroon-ish hue) and a highlighter (light baby pink) all in one easy to use pot. I suggest you use this palette with a nice blending brush to add dimension to your eye.

4U2  also offers dual eyeshadows (around PHP 200plus), blush ons (the peachy-hues are worth-trying especially for morenas), lippies and foundations. Visit the bigger Watson’s stores to get a load of these babies.

Oh and before I forget… Happy New Year!