Overview: BDJ Power Planner 2014

We're still halfway through December but it's never too early to plan your 2014 out. I have always been a 'go with the flow' kind of person and I've never been so good with planning. I had goals in mind but I never wrote them down. Some, I just think of for a few days and eventually forget. And now that the last month of the year has creeped on us (so soon), I realized that I'm not really sure what I did with my life for the past year. Okay, so I know I was working and struggling with health issues for the most part of the year but what else? What significant goals did I actually accomplish? Small thoughts like these make you wish you were a bit more organized and had a record or something to look back into.

If you're also having thoughts like these, here's a little something that you guys might want to consider: BELLE DE JOUR POWER PLANNER 2014!!!

My first BDJ planner. Lovely cover. ^^

This particular Belle De Jour's #BDJMAKEITHAPPEN Your Life's Masterpiece Power Planner is a 5.7x7.9 inches, matte-laminated hard cover, 200 full-color pages planner complete with expandable back pocket and over PHP 40,000 worth of coupons priced at PHP 598.

This particular planner has time management principle based layout to help you get things done.

It helps you:

- Challenge yourself to MAKE A DIFFERENCE with the Advocacy Tracker.

- FOCUS ON WHAT'S IMPORTANT with Goals, Dreamboard, Checklists and more.

- TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF with the health checklist, immunization and menstrual tracker pages.

- MANAGE YOUR INCOME/ EXPENSES with the bills and Cash Flow Tracker pages.

Know more about the planner over here.

I don't know about you guys but I am really excited to start my 2014 venture with the BDJ Power Planner!

Viviamo Inc. sent me this BDJ Power Planner as a Christmas gift. (Thank you so much!) Although I did not buy this with my own money, everything I wrote in this post are my honest opinions.

And before I go to sleep, I would like to share some of my thoughts about my life (in general, not just as a beauty and fashion enthusiast). Viviamo Inc. asked me something to jumpstart my 2014. They asked me how I would make my life a masterpiece. Here's what I said: "I would make my life a masterpiece by actually taking chances. Gone are the days when I just went along with what everyone else has to offer. I will try to make a move on my own and try to reach for my dreams one by one. I haven't been the best at decision making but hopefully, I'd be able to plan out my career life better than before." Yes, I would like to focus on my career life for next year. How about you?

Tony Moly Egg Pore Tightening Pack: Review

Hi guys! If you're a subscriber from youtube, you'd know that I promised to post a more in depth review of the Colour Collection Whitening BB Cream and Missha Signature Wrinkle Filler BB Cream but I'd like to squeeze this review first. It's all about a skin care product from Tony Moly.

Now before I go into that, I would just like to express my utter excitement/happiness about the recent change in Tony Moly's endorsers. I have nothing against JYJ and Min Hyo Rin BUT I am a HHUUUGGGEEE Super Junior fan! After finding out that SJ-M will be replacing JYJ, I dropped by the Tony Moly counter in SM Makati whenever I could and checked if they already changed their display to SJ's. Many times, I was disappointed. But a few weeks ago, when I visited the place, I was happy to see that it has indeed changed! And what's even better is that they had Donghae's photo as promotion! He's my bias. And yes, Victoria (Yes, she's pretty.) was also there but I won't be going into that.

So yeah, in memory of me finally seeing SJ's promotional pictures here in the Philippines, I bought the Tony Moly Changing U Magic Mask Sheet Box. It contains 7 different face masks to choose from. (A post will be up for this sometime in the future.) But then again, I won't be going deep into that product as I haven't even tried one mask from that collection. What I will be talking about, however, is the Tony Moly Egg Pore Tightening Pack.

The Tonymoly Egg Pore Tightening Pack is a clay mask that is enriched with egg white and Camellias extracts to help tighten your pores and give your skin a deep-down cleansing experience. It also contains keratin that is an effective skin whitening agent.

PACKAGING:

If this isn't considered cute then I don't know what is. It's an 'egg' pore pack hence its shape! The designer is so clever, he even thought of having the inner lid colored as yellow to make it look like the yolk. Amazing, right? I wasn't able to properly take a photo of the yellow lid I was talking about and I'm too lazy to take one now so let me direct you to another post regarding this very product with a clear photo of the yellow lid I was talking about here.

CONSISTENCY:

It's a clay pack so it's a little bit sticky. That's to be expected. Once applied, I can really feel my skin tighten up.

SCENT:

To me, it smells quite nice. I can't describe it but whenever I smell it, it reminds me of pie (although I'm pretty sure egg pies don't smell like this.) All in all, I have nothing against the scent.

LONG TERM EFFECTS:

The truth is, I always tell myself to use this particular product twice a week but since I'm not as diligent as I think I am, I don't. I've tried it a couple of times ever since opening it last September. I'm not sure if constant use will actually make your pores tighter but it does feel that way once applied (as mentioned above). One thing is for sure though, immediately after rinsing, my skin feels so smooth and soft.

I love using this face pack whenever I feel like I want my skin to have something to be thankful for. Now would I recommend it? Sure, this is good for those who are fond of the wash off type of face packs for weekly facial treatment.

Wanna try this product too? Or have you already tried this one? Let me know and leave a comment down below. As for me, I have to go now since I still have to rinse this product off my face as I am currently using it as I type this review.

Review: Revlon Colorsilk in Shade 57 Lightest Golden Brown

I'm a person who's not new to the concept of hair coloring. I did it quite a few times for the past 4 years. I've always been safe with my color choices. I always picked colors that are of brown descent. This year, however, I've been wanting to lighten my hair visibly but I've never been able to do so. I tried getting Palty's Marshmallow Ash but that turned out to be just another ordinary shade of brown.

As I was strolling around Watsons, I saw this particular shade and was interested on how this color would turn out once applied on my hair. Initially, I wanted to get Syoss's Light Ash Blonde color but I chickened out since I was afraid it would lighten my hair too much. Hence, I got this 'almost' blonde color on the shelf.

A few days before my birthday, I tried it out and I loved it! It was the perfect golden brown shade. It has lightened my hair color visibly and has brightened my skin tone. Here's a before and after video that shows how this particular hair dye worked on my previously dyed (but naturally dark brown) hair:

In addition to the things I love about this hair dye is the after color conditioner. It made my hair super soft, straight and shiny!

On the other hand, after a few weeks, the color faded and turned into a medium brown shade, a bit similar to my previous hair color. So I guess if you're looking for a long lasting hair dye, I wouldn't recommend this brand. But if you just want a change for a short period of time, this may be the one for you.

Feature: Pony's Beauty Diary

You know you've been too busy with other things when you have a beauty blog and you don't even know that Pony has already uploaded makeup videos instead of her usual picture tutorial. I know I've been busy with work and all that but never did I imagine that I would be so much behind on all things that are Kbeauty related.I'm on vacation leave right now which allows me to surf the net all I want. I was up late last night when I stumbled upon Pony's makeup videos. It was really fun to watch. All the videos are HD with tutorials and tips regarding skin care, makeup, etc. You might want to check out some of her videos so here's some of them... Enjoy!

Céleteque Hydration Hydrolyzed Moisturizing Mist: Review

Céleteque Hydration Hydrolyzed Moisturizing Mist is one of my favorite Sample Room products. During the past (summer) season, I used this product as replacement for my cream moisturizers. Cream moisturizers tend to be a bit sticky when exposed to too much heat and humidity. Whenever I step out of the house and commute my way to work under the Philippine heat, I lose all my freshness (even if it's less than an hour since I showered). What I do is I just spray this product 2-3 times and voila, I instantly feel refreshed! Thus, this has become a product that I bring with me even outside the comfort of my home.

The only thing I don't like about it is that the full size is a little too big to be called handy. But then again, it may occupy a lot of space in your bag but it's not that big of a deal. If you really want to, you can easily transfer the product to a smaller spray container you can buy in a drugstore near you. I don't use it as much anymore since I've started using prescription skin care routine but my sister uses this and she likes it as well. Also, this product has never broken me out. Yay! What's even better is that this product claims to contain Hydrolyzed Liquids and Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) to help restore moisture to the skin, improving its elasticity and softness. Personally, I haven't seen dramatic improvement on my skin condition but the truth regarding this product remains the same: IT IS SUPER REFRESHING. I highly recommend this product during the summer season but I don't see any reason why it can't be used in other seasons as well.

SoTrue Lavender Skin Repair Balm: Review

Summer is almost over here but I can still feel the heat linger on. You would, too, if you're living in the Philippines. It's been months since the summer season has taken its toll on us but the heat is still all too overwhelming for me. I feel like I survived numerous near-heat stroke moments for the past two months. Aside from that, I've also been experiencing dry lips caused by who-knows-what. It's a good thing, however, that I got this Skin Repair Balm as a part of my second haul from the Sample Room.

I thought long and hard before deciding on how I'm going to use the product. Judging from the description I've read off of Sample Room, this particular product has many uses to choose from and I decided to use it as a lip moisturizer/lip balm. The sample packaging helped me decide as it already looked like a regular lip balm.

Sample room says, "Use it on your lips, your elbows, knees, heels—just about anywhere your body needs some moisturizing TLC! SoTrue Skin Repair Balm packs a moisturizing punch with olive oil and pure beeswax to knock out dry skin. Leaves skin feeling soft and smooth unlike any other lotion you’ve tried."

The sample product is a regular cream colored stick. The smell doesn't bother me although I sense a mixture of mint and herbal scent. It's really creamy, spreads easily and moisturizes really well. This could be the best lip balm out there (at least for me).

I love using this product after I apply my everyday lipstick (EB Matte Lipstick in Viva). Matte lipsticks tend to dry my lips but whenever I top it off with this product, my lips get its moisture back with no difficulty. The only problem is that I have to reapply it after 2-3 hours.

Now would I recommend this product? Yes, I would! This is very moisturizing and does everything a lip balm should.

Nanny Rose's Queen Bee Hair Remover + After Wax Salve: Review

I've always trusted shaving when it comes to handling underarm hair. Waxing has never been an option for me since I was scared that it would be too painful for me to handle. I did try plucking before but I eventually went back into shaving after a few weeks. Shaving has been the most suitable for me. And I've had that thought for years... Up until my friends convinced me to wax instead. They told me that waxing is painful but definitely bearable (supposing you do it correctly). They told me it's a lot better than shaving since you don't have to do it as often. Being the lazy person that I am, I was sold.

My first waxing experience, however, wasn't so good. I just bought some waxing strips from Watsons but it really didn't do the trick for me. The strips were too small and it didn't do a good job in removing all the hair that was needed to be removed. (But anyway, I won't be talking about that particular product. I might do another post on it anyway.) So yeah, moving on, my first waxing experience was a little disappointing. I didn't understand why my friends preferred waxing over shaving.

One day, however, while I was strolling around Watson's with my sister, we decided to get Nanny Rose's Queen Bee All Natural Hair Remover. I've been seeing the product quite a few times whenever I stroll around Watson's and I've been so curious to see how it works. So when my sister asked me to buy the product for her, I gave in to that curiosity and bought the product along with the after wax salve from the same brand.

Nanny Rose's Queen Bee Sticks & Pulls Honey Wax

All Natural Hair Remover

Hot | Cold

Truth be told, I was excited to try the product out but my excitement cannot compare to the satisfaction I felt after using the product. I know I haven't tried a lot of waxing products before so I can't really do comparisons but I did repurchase this product which goes to show that I am very satisfied with the results it has given me.

So the product came in with the wax itself, a popsicle stick and free washable cloth strips. You have the option to use the wax either in hot or cold setting. I prefer warming it up prior to use. I did ask for my sister's help to do the actual waxing process and she did a pretty good job. The product was able to remove all the unwanted hair without the seering pain I was expecting. Like what my friends have told me, the pain was definitely bearable and I don't mind doing this again.

Pre-heated honey wax

Another good thing about it is that it did not irritate my skin. No peculiar redness or itchiness occurred.

Nanny Rose's Queen Bee

Mild Like Chamomile

After Wax Salve

I did use the after wax salve which helped soothe the skin after waxing. No irritations, redness whatsoever. Not only did it help remove the leftover stickiness, the scent was really mild, I could hardly smell it. The product was also creamy and a little goes a long way. I haven't repurchased this yet since I feel that one small tub would last me a long time. I would definitely recommend this product.

So for those of you who haven't tried waxing yet, I suggest you try this product out. It's not just effective. It's affordable and easily accessible too. And if you do try it out, let me know what you think about it.

I'm having a hard time closing this post. I'm not sure why but maybe it's because I'm running late for work. I'm just squeezing time to write this post down. Basically, I just wanted to have this post up to let you know that I am, in fact, still alive. LOL. Again, sorry for my long absence but I really do hope you guys would continue to read my blog despite that.

Summer/Spring Nail + First Sample Room Haul

Hi everyone! This is just a short post on a not-so-new product and my first ever sample room haul. Let me talk about the Rain by Colortrends nail polish that I've been loving. Yes, I am talking about the shade Pistachio Delight. You may have seen this exact shade in my previous post but I am here once again to share the same nail shade because I think the color suits this season very well.

Very springy/summery, don't you think?

This nail polish is super cheap. I bought it for just PHP17.00 at a local store!

On another note, I just recently joined the Sample Room. I've been seeing sample room being talked about in most of their partner blogger's site (I wish I was a part of this circle.) and have always been wondering how it works. Try before you buy? Seriously? How does that work? (Click here to find out more about how sample room works.) That's what usually comes into my mind whenever I see their logo. After reading through their site, I immediately registered and got my first sample.

It came in a brown paper bag with their cute logo printed on it.

And here's what I got for myself. ^^ I didn't need to pay for anything but shipping! I now have a full-sized Celeteque Advanced Anti-Aging Anti-Wrinkle Ultra-Hydrating Cleasing Oil to try out. They even placed in another sample of Celeteque's Make-Up Remover Cleansing Facial Wipes! Cool, huh?

Skin 79 Hot Pink Triple Function BB Cream: Review

As promised (in my latest youtube video), I will be doing a full review on the Skin 79 Hot Pink Triple Function BB Cream. As I've mentioned in the video, this bb cream has been out in the market for quite some time now and a lot of beauty bloggers and youtubers have already talked about how great this product is. This is just another post to add in on the lot of existing reviews already out there.

COLOR:

This bb cream has a bit of grey undertone but I don't really mind since it blends nicely to my skin once applied.

CONSISTENCY:

This bb cream is not sticky. It is easily blendable and gets absorbed by the skin quickly. It also has a lightweight feel perfect for humid countries like the Philippines and during summer time.

COVERAGE:

The bb cream does brighten the face but it offers too little coverage. It definitely won't be able to cover imperfections such as hyperpigmentations, acne scars and all that. You would definitely need a concealer for this.

FINISH:

I wouldn't say it's matte, wouldn't say it's dewy either. It's kind of just in between. I kinda like it because your skin doesn't look flat and dry but it also doesn't look extra greasy/oily.

LASTING POWER:

I don't think it lasts for long especially with oil control. I'd have to say it stays good for about 3-4 hours. Do take note that I have oily skin.

LONG-TERM EFFECTS:

This bb cream did not break me out. Since I only used this for a couple of days so I couldn't really say anything about it's wrinkle improvement properties as well as its whitening property.

This bb cream is a good bb cream especially during this season of heat (summer) but I really don't recommend this for people like me who have a lot os imperfections. No, I wouldn't be repurchasing this product simply because I'd rather try out more bb creams that offer more coverage that I need. If you have good skin to begin with, however, I highly recommend that you try this bb cream out.

Etude House Shini Star Clear Pact: Review

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This is a product that I've bought last year but I never got to review it. Now I finally am pushing myself to be more active in blogging so I'm finally posting a review of this product for those of you who are curious to know what I think of this product.

It's from the Shinee (K-Pop boy group) Speacial Edition collection and it's called the Etude House Shini Star Clear Pact and I got it as a part of the Etude House Beauty Kit from last year. It is in the shade #1 Peach. The other shade, #2, is in Lavender (Check out Frozen Blossom's review on the other shade over HERE.)

This is a pretty good product and although it's in the shade Peach, I feel that this pact is more of a translucent powder that's made just to set your makeup and control oil but doesn't really offer coverage or color pay-off. I've used this product for a couple of months and I have to say that I'm pretty much satisfied with the product. I wouldn't say it's the best setting powder out there but I wouldn't mind using this product again if I was given the chance to.

This product helps control shine, oil and sets your makeup pretty well without irritating your skin. It also doesn't clog the pores and doesn't cause me to break out. It costs around PHP 478.00. This is a little bit pricier that the usual face powders I get for myself but I think pricing is just right considering you're getting quality clear pact for a little less than PHP 500.00

Pros:
- locally available
- controls oil pretty well (about 3-4 hours before blotting)
- does the job in setting makeup
- cute packaging
- travel friendly (compact)

Cons:

- no coverage

Purederm Anti- Stress Heat Therapy Mask: Review

Ever tried a self heating face mask before? Well, I have. It's very different from the usual masks that I've tried before. Previous masks and packs I've tried before are cold upon application. This one heats up once it comes contact with your skin.

I bought this particular mask in Watsons. It's called Anti- Stress Heat Therapy Mask from Purederm Botanical Choice. It claims to be relaxing, invigorating and self heating. It comes in a 15ml sachet which is actually good for more than one use. It's in Apricot and is made in Korea so hurrah for those of you (and me) who are fans of the Korean trend.

What's even better is the english description, instruction and reminders! You don't have to stress over FYI stuff written at the back of the product.

click to enlarge photo

I personally like this mask. It doesn't make my skin extra moisturized or extra soft compared to when I'm using other face masks but I love the joy of waiting for the mask to heat up. That alone is enough for me to repurchase.

I don't remember the exact price but I'm pretty sure it costs less than PHP100 so it's reletively cheap compared to other Korean face masks.

Pros:
- cheap
- locally available in Watson's
- self heating
- made in Korea
- smells nice
- one sachet is good for more than 1 use

Cons:
- can't think of any

Japan Home Loven Make Cleansing Pad: Overview

Lately, a lot of cleansing aids have been released in the market. Gadgets like Clairsonic and the likes are here and there. They promote cleansing aids that feature specialized facial brushes that will help you deep clean your pores. As we all know, clean pores means better skin. I don't have perfect skin. In fact, I have to visit my dermatologist twice a month just to get my facial done to ensure that my face is clean (and yet I still break out often). This makes me want to try out products like Clairsonic. Sadly, however, I don't have the money to buy my own so I just have to deal with that and work with what I have.

For people like me, here's a product feature that you may be interested in. I bought this thing at Japan Home for roughly PHP69. Pretty cheap, huh? It's a facial cleansing pad that helps remove deep seated dirt in your pores. It has small, soft bristles to help with removing dirt and dead skin cells.

I started using this last November and I have been loving this ever since. Whenever I use this, I feel like my skin is thoroughly cleansed. Also, I feel that my skin has gotten a lot better (not perfect) since then. The small bristles really does help in cleaning my pores and what's great is that it doesn't irritate the skin. It's not abrasive as one would probably assume. It feels kinda nice  (like a massage) and your skin feels really clean afterwards.

I am happy to share and recommend this product to you, my dear readers.

Etude House Surprise Stick Concealer: Review

Hi everyone! This is a long overdue post on my thoughts regarding a concealr I bought from Etude House. I got this as a part of their Beauty Kit last year (April) and this has done me good as a part of my previous daily routine. This product is cheap at PHP 328 and I got it in the shade #2 Natural Beige.

To better explain the effectivity of the product, here are some pictures to satisfy your curiosity:

bare

 unblended concealer

blended 

As you can see, this is a good concealer especially for your dark circles.

 bare

 unblended concealer

 blended

It is not impressive in covering up hyperpigmentations but does the job quite okay.

The only thing I don't like about this is that this concealer creases even after setting it with powder!


All in all, this is a good concealer for its price. It's not my holy grail concealer but is good enough for everyday use.

Pros:
- cheap (kinda) at PHP 328
- locally available
- easy to blend
- creamy consistency
- brightens dark circles
- able to conceal redness

Cons:
- creases
- does not conceal hyperpigmentations thoroughly