I know I only blog once a week but the devastating effects of typhoon Ondoy on my fellow Filipinos is something I feel strongly about. The flood didn't go near our house but it destroyed so, so many others! I feel lucky and blessed and gave my daughter many extra hugs today. I was finally able to contact my aunt in Marikina and she says they're okay. I shall visit them soon!
I watched the news today for less than an hour and heard first-hand stories from victims which were so tragic and moving. My hubby and I had to go out to buy my medicine and through the car radio we learned that a landslide had occurred in Rizal which killed many families. Whole families trapped under tons of mud and rock. I had checked the link I had posted earlier to see where the nearest drop-off for donations to our home was and it turns out that the concierge at Alabang Town Center is accepting them so that's where we went.
There were about 20 other names on the list I signed there and I was glad. I was feeling tired so I didn't go through our full bodega and just got this sack of clothes I have up for an online garage sale and went through the clothes in our closets. We filled three bags but I know this is not enough. I'll go back tomorrow. I actually want to donate food which is what the victims primarily need right now but I don't think I can go grocery shopping. I looked through TXTPower's site and they do seem legit. I think they are the only ones accepting PayPal donations (all donations forwarded to the Red Cross). I really think that donating P100 will help, or even $1!
I have lost any sort of lemming for any beauty product right now. It just doesn't feel fair to me to buy makeup. I still browse through beauty blogs though! I'm sorry if it seems as if I'm trying to make anyone feel guilty- I'm not. I just want to share how I feel. On the bright side, I saw photos online of many people buying loads and loads of relief goods, which really brought tears to my eyes. Sorry, I can't help being emotional!
I urge you to visit the TXTPower site as they make it very convenient to donate, from your home, from anywhere in the world (using PayPal), with only a few clicks. They accept donations through (posting this again):
-Paypal (magbayanihan@yahoo.com.ph or click this link)
-Gcash (0917-9751092)
-SmartMoney (5577-5144-1866-7103)
You can also inquire with your local Red Cross, or visit this link to check where the nearest drop-off point for donations in your area is, and other information on how to help.
More about the typhoon and donatins: I just read a recent post from Jbreezy about donating which can be found here. Thebaghag has photos of Manila from airplane window view up on her blog. And Mabuhaygirl keeps it positive documenting good deeds.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Help for victims of typhoon Ondoy
I didn't immediately realize the extent of the damage caused by the typhoon, because when it hit us on Saturday, there was minimal flooding in our area and none at all in our village. We didn't have any TV because the electricity went out for hours and I was caught up in worrying about my husband.
Then later that night when I went online I saw the photos (here are some from Sush's blog or you can google), and the following morning we watched the news and I was shocked. I mean, these are places that I've all been to, places I used to pass by everyday at one point, and places where my family and friends lived nearby. I saw a footage caught on video of people on a roof that was caught in a river in San Mateo, Rizal, it was horrifying. And when I saw photos of Marikina (a flood-prone area in Manila), I got nervous about my cousins, aunts, and uncles who we were supposed to visit there on Saturday. I've been unable to contact them since the storm hit, but my dad said he was able to talk to my aunt and they're okay though their houses were flooded.
Can you imagine your entire makeup collection, or actually your entire bedroom submerged in a flood? Everything you worked hard for- gone. Or the entire village in a deep flood and getting stuck on your rooftop (some with their month-old babies) for 24 hours with no food or water? This is what happened (and is still happening, I think some people haven't even been rescued!) to a lot of Filipinos. I even heard a call for rescue on TV from a woman who was in labor, stuck on her roof in the rain. But the worst is that people lost their loved ones in the floods, and some are still missing. My prayers go out to everyone who was affected by the typhoon.
If you would like to give much needed donations, or volunteer, here is a useful link on how to do it. For those who are staying at home like me, TXTPower.org is organizing a fund drive which will be forwarded to Red Cross and they accept donations through:
-Paypal (magbayanihan@yahoo.com.ph or click this link)
-Gcash (0917-9751092)
-SmartMoney (5577-5144-1866-7103)
You can also call your local Red Cross (people from the USA included) to inquire how you can help.
Then later that night when I went online I saw the photos (here are some from Sush's blog or you can google), and the following morning we watched the news and I was shocked. I mean, these are places that I've all been to, places I used to pass by everyday at one point, and places where my family and friends lived nearby. I saw a footage caught on video of people on a roof that was caught in a river in San Mateo, Rizal, it was horrifying. And when I saw photos of Marikina (a flood-prone area in Manila), I got nervous about my cousins, aunts, and uncles who we were supposed to visit there on Saturday. I've been unable to contact them since the storm hit, but my dad said he was able to talk to my aunt and they're okay though their houses were flooded.
Can you imagine your entire makeup collection, or actually your entire bedroom submerged in a flood? Everything you worked hard for- gone. Or the entire village in a deep flood and getting stuck on your rooftop (some with their month-old babies) for 24 hours with no food or water? This is what happened (and is still happening, I think some people haven't even been rescued!) to a lot of Filipinos. I even heard a call for rescue on TV from a woman who was in labor, stuck on her roof in the rain. But the worst is that people lost their loved ones in the floods, and some are still missing. My prayers go out to everyone who was affected by the typhoon.
If you would like to give much needed donations, or volunteer, here is a useful link on how to do it. For those who are staying at home like me, TXTPower.org is organizing a fund drive which will be forwarded to Red Cross and they accept donations through:
-Paypal (magbayanihan@yahoo.com.ph or click this link)
-Gcash (0917-9751092)
-SmartMoney (5577-5144-1866-7103)
You can also call your local Red Cross (people from the USA included) to inquire how you can help.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Typing warm and toasty in bed - I hope you are too.
Hi everyone! Just popping in on my almost dead blog. Hehe. Anyway, Glee. I've come across a number of posts on this new TV show lately. I'm not really one to follow fads, but I happened to catch an episode 'cause someone left the TV on that channel...and I was so surprisingly charmed by this show! It really cracks me up. I love the singing. And the dancing. And pretty much everything. If you like musicals, or broadway, or music in general, you might like watching Glee. I am downloading the fourth and latest episode as I type this :)
I really also hope that all my fellow Philippine residents are okay. There's currently a typhoon over here and the floods are terrible. The electricity went out for 4-5 hours this afternoon but I'm glad there's not much flooding in our area. I was worried about my husband because he got stuck waiting in traffic and gasoline stations for about 8 hours. Yes, 8 hours. The floods on the highways got so bad that no one could pass through! But hubby got home safely, thank God. His friend from work is sleeping over because his house was flooded in entirely so he has no place to stay. Poor guy. I am worried about my relatives who live in Marikina. Lord, please make the storm go away soon!
Would you still like to see my little Etsy find? :) It's from For Strange Women. This shop sells perfume oils, lip balms, and adornments.
Great packaging. Pretty fast TAT also, around just 2 days. Cheap shipping too. I got a lip balm and perfume oils. Here's the lip balm:
Absinthe lip balm. Unique flavor, eh? There's no actual absinthe in it, but it is naturally flavored with anise star essential oil like Absinthe is. It's a light green color in the tube but goes on colorless. I use this alternately with my Aromaleigh lip balm. They are both wonderfully moisturizing and glide smoothly on the lips. But this one definitely has a different flavor. And I like that it's different.
The flavor is hard for me to describe (I've never tatsed absinthe), but I find it so familiar...it's on the tip of my tongue but I can't quite remember what this is similar to! It is sweet at times. I like it a lot. It's not too strong or mild, it's just right. There are other flavors on the shop that I want to try (Poison Ivy). I will keep repurchasing this each time I run out.
I also purchased a sample set of some of their perfume oils. This was my first time to use perfume oils. I almost never wear perfume 'cause it makes me sneeze, hehe. These I find to be much milder than regular perfumes. One time I used up like 1/3 of one vial but my husband still couldn't smell it on me, although I clearly could. They don't make me sneeze or give me a headache or anything.
Like the lip balm, these are uniquely scented. They are also made with all-natural ingredients. I recall seeing a number of pure essential oils on the ingredients list. The sample set I got contained these 3 scents: Jaded, Moss and Ivy, and Sweet Androgyny.
Sweet Androgyny is so aptly named. Sniff it straight from the vial and it smells like a man's perfume. But on my skin it almost turns sweet. Almost musky. I know I'll wear this when I feel sexy. I think this is my fave out of the three. I also like Moss and Ivy though, I find it to be earthy, warm, but fresh, and sweet too. Jaded is very floral and feminine. It doesn't smell exactly like it, but it brings the Sampaguita flower to my mind...which always reminds me of church. I don't care much for this one.
If you're not into floral scents or if you don't like how pure essential oils smell, you might not like these. But if you're looking for something unique, earthy, naturally made, mild and pleasant, try out these perfume oils from For Strange Women. My descriptions of the scents kinda suck, but there are longer ones for each scent on their website which you can check out :)
I really also hope that all my fellow Philippine residents are okay. There's currently a typhoon over here and the floods are terrible. The electricity went out for 4-5 hours this afternoon but I'm glad there's not much flooding in our area. I was worried about my husband because he got stuck waiting in traffic and gasoline stations for about 8 hours. Yes, 8 hours. The floods on the highways got so bad that no one could pass through! But hubby got home safely, thank God. His friend from work is sleeping over because his house was flooded in entirely so he has no place to stay. Poor guy. I am worried about my relatives who live in Marikina. Lord, please make the storm go away soon!
Would you still like to see my little Etsy find? :) It's from For Strange Women. This shop sells perfume oils, lip balms, and adornments.
Great packaging. Pretty fast TAT also, around just 2 days. Cheap shipping too. I got a lip balm and perfume oils. Here's the lip balm:
Absinthe lip balm. Unique flavor, eh? There's no actual absinthe in it, but it is naturally flavored with anise star essential oil like Absinthe is. It's a light green color in the tube but goes on colorless. I use this alternately with my Aromaleigh lip balm. They are both wonderfully moisturizing and glide smoothly on the lips. But this one definitely has a different flavor. And I like that it's different.
The flavor is hard for me to describe (I've never tatsed absinthe), but I find it so familiar...it's on the tip of my tongue but I can't quite remember what this is similar to! It is sweet at times. I like it a lot. It's not too strong or mild, it's just right. There are other flavors on the shop that I want to try (Poison Ivy). I will keep repurchasing this each time I run out.
I also purchased a sample set of some of their perfume oils. This was my first time to use perfume oils. I almost never wear perfume 'cause it makes me sneeze, hehe. These I find to be much milder than regular perfumes. One time I used up like 1/3 of one vial but my husband still couldn't smell it on me, although I clearly could. They don't make me sneeze or give me a headache or anything.
Like the lip balm, these are uniquely scented. They are also made with all-natural ingredients. I recall seeing a number of pure essential oils on the ingredients list. The sample set I got contained these 3 scents: Jaded, Moss and Ivy, and Sweet Androgyny.
Sweet Androgyny is so aptly named. Sniff it straight from the vial and it smells like a man's perfume. But on my skin it almost turns sweet. Almost musky. I know I'll wear this when I feel sexy. I think this is my fave out of the three. I also like Moss and Ivy though, I find it to be earthy, warm, but fresh, and sweet too. Jaded is very floral and feminine. It doesn't smell exactly like it, but it brings the Sampaguita flower to my mind...which always reminds me of church. I don't care much for this one.
If you're not into floral scents or if you don't like how pure essential oils smell, you might not like these. But if you're looking for something unique, earthy, naturally made, mild and pleasant, try out these perfume oils from For Strange Women. My descriptions of the scents kinda suck, but there are longer ones for each scent on their website which you can check out :)
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Mineral Liquid Foundation from Erzulie Cosmetics, Small Eco Market Haul, and Blogger Award :)
First off, thank you much to beautiful bloggers Ems and Mia for this:
Yay! I am passing it on to all the beautiful followers of my blog. Go ahead and post it on your blog! :)
I've been using Erzulie Cosmetics' Mineral Makeup Flawless Finish Clarifying Liquid Foundation (whew! That was long) in the Medium shade for a few weeks now. It is non-comedogenic, supposed to be fragrance-free, and is made of these all-natural ingredients:
Distilled Water, sorbitol, emulsifying wax, squalane, naturaguard, vitamin E, shea butter, aloe oil, jojoba oil, candelilla wax, lecithin, non gmo corn starch, mineral blend, zinc oxide, lactic acid, iron oxides, grapefruit seed extract.
I found it through Etsy and asked Rhonda, the store owner, for the product ingredients. She also recommended the Medium shade for me. I chose to get just a sample, for only $3 (full-size costs $13), it's in a 5 gram jar:
It looks a bit hard here, but the consistency is actually very much like whipped cream! Very easy to blend (I apply it with the ELF Studio Powder brush). It's quite gentle to my skin- no breakouts or itchies caused. It feels nice on too. Moisturizing, but doesn't feel oily or overly sticky on my face. It's supposed to be fragrance-free, but I find that there's a faint, pleasant scent to it.
I was afraid the color would be too dark for me when I saw it in the jar, but upon application, it blended well into my skintone. Finish is kinda dewy, and staying power, for me, is awesome. This can withstand the hot weather in Manila. But as for the coverage, I find it too sheer. It's really more like a tinted moisturizer. It makes for a nice primer for my mmu though, and it would've been even better if it had SPF in it. If you're looking for a tinted moisturizer with all-natural ingredients that is gentle to the skin, you should give this product a try. But as for me, I prefer a liquid mineral foundation with fuller coverage. On with the search!
I also got their Light Progress Mineral Concealer:
Unfortunately, upon opening the cap, I already knew it was many shades too light for my skin. Confirmed with doing a swatch. So I can't shed much thought on it since I'm unable to use it. Here are its ingredients though:
jojoba oil,evening primrose oil,beeswax,shea butter,candellila wax, carnauba wax, vitamin e, squalane, non gmo cornstarch, mineral blend, grapefruit seed extract, iron oxides.
And on to my little haul...I went to the Eco Market stall again yesterday and grabbed some items which I had run out of.
I forgot to bring my own shopping bag. Theirs is so cute :)
Human heart Nature shampoo (my everyday shampoo), Human heart Nature makeup remover (I used up my bottle), three Wild Organics soap bars, and Wild Organics Pocket Healer.
I've posted about the Wild Organics products before.
We used up the 2 soaps I previously bought (Cocomilk and Bayabas) and I really like them. The Cocomilk & Honey bar is for my 11-month-old daughter- this helps moisturize her skin and is so mild, and the Bayabas (guava) soap is for me. I love the Bayabas soap because it helps keep my bacne at bay, but doesn't dry out the skin on the rest of my body. It doesn't help with my dandruff though! I wanted to try the other variants and the SA recommended Sari-saring Halaman (assorted plants). I got another Pocker Healer 'cause my mom nicked the one I had, hehe. It gives her comfort when her sinusitis acts up. I like to bring the Pocket Healer with me everytime we leave the house, to apply on anyone's (including baby's) skin itchies, and for when we get headaches and colds. No effect on muscle pains though.
And lastly, something for my little girl:
Man, how time flies. I can't believe she's turning one year old next month! It seems like it was only yesterday that she was a colicky newborn.
Yay! I am passing it on to all the beautiful followers of my blog. Go ahead and post it on your blog! :)
I've been using Erzulie Cosmetics' Mineral Makeup Flawless Finish Clarifying Liquid Foundation (whew! That was long) in the Medium shade for a few weeks now. It is non-comedogenic, supposed to be fragrance-free, and is made of these all-natural ingredients:
Distilled Water, sorbitol, emulsifying wax, squalane, naturaguard, vitamin E, shea butter, aloe oil, jojoba oil, candelilla wax, lecithin, non gmo corn starch, mineral blend, zinc oxide, lactic acid, iron oxides, grapefruit seed extract.
I found it through Etsy and asked Rhonda, the store owner, for the product ingredients. She also recommended the Medium shade for me. I chose to get just a sample, for only $3 (full-size costs $13), it's in a 5 gram jar:
It looks a bit hard here, but the consistency is actually very much like whipped cream! Very easy to blend (I apply it with the ELF Studio Powder brush). It's quite gentle to my skin- no breakouts or itchies caused. It feels nice on too. Moisturizing, but doesn't feel oily or overly sticky on my face. It's supposed to be fragrance-free, but I find that there's a faint, pleasant scent to it.
I was afraid the color would be too dark for me when I saw it in the jar, but upon application, it blended well into my skintone. Finish is kinda dewy, and staying power, for me, is awesome. This can withstand the hot weather in Manila. But as for the coverage, I find it too sheer. It's really more like a tinted moisturizer. It makes for a nice primer for my mmu though, and it would've been even better if it had SPF in it. If you're looking for a tinted moisturizer with all-natural ingredients that is gentle to the skin, you should give this product a try. But as for me, I prefer a liquid mineral foundation with fuller coverage. On with the search!
I also got their Light Progress Mineral Concealer:
Unfortunately, upon opening the cap, I already knew it was many shades too light for my skin. Confirmed with doing a swatch. So I can't shed much thought on it since I'm unable to use it. Here are its ingredients though:
jojoba oil,evening primrose oil,beeswax,shea butter,candellila wax, carnauba wax, vitamin e, squalane, non gmo cornstarch, mineral blend, grapefruit seed extract, iron oxides.
And on to my little haul...I went to the Eco Market stall again yesterday and grabbed some items which I had run out of.
I forgot to bring my own shopping bag. Theirs is so cute :)
Human heart Nature shampoo (my everyday shampoo), Human heart Nature makeup remover (I used up my bottle), three Wild Organics soap bars, and Wild Organics Pocket Healer.
I've posted about the Wild Organics products before.
We used up the 2 soaps I previously bought (Cocomilk and Bayabas) and I really like them. The Cocomilk & Honey bar is for my 11-month-old daughter- this helps moisturize her skin and is so mild, and the Bayabas (guava) soap is for me. I love the Bayabas soap because it helps keep my bacne at bay, but doesn't dry out the skin on the rest of my body. It doesn't help with my dandruff though! I wanted to try the other variants and the SA recommended Sari-saring Halaman (assorted plants). I got another Pocker Healer 'cause my mom nicked the one I had, hehe. It gives her comfort when her sinusitis acts up. I like to bring the Pocket Healer with me everytime we leave the house, to apply on anyone's (including baby's) skin itchies, and for when we get headaches and colds. No effect on muscle pains though.
And lastly, something for my little girl:
Man, how time flies. I can't believe she's turning one year old next month! It seems like it was only yesterday that she was a colicky newborn.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Etude House Fresh Cherry Tints - Pretty!
I'm on a roll with the non-mmu posts! Haha. I must admit I've been trying more traditional makeup lately. For base makeup though, it's gotta be mmu. Otherwise, I will break out, I'm pretty sure because this is what happened the last few days. But for blush, eyeshadow, and lately, lippies, I love color so I love trying new things.
Like the Etude House Fresh Cherry Tints, in #2 Pink and #1 Red:
I saw these on one of my favorite beauty blogs (ABS- sooooo much eye candy here) months and months ago and was totally lemming for them, so it was a wonderful coincidence that Claudia had a few of these left as overstock from her last pre-order, which I missed. She was selling them at a reasonable price too, at PhP 340 each or around $7, so not like the ones up on ebay! Of course I grabbed them quickly. Here are swatches:
Looks and feels creamy upon application.
I smudged them with my finger. They're semi-dry here and look a bit like gloss...
Here's what the tints look like once dry, which doesn't take too long to happen.
A tip: exfoliate lips well and moisturize before using lip stains! This is why I didn't post a photo of the Fresh Cherry tints on my lips. But if applied on well-conditioned lips, these look lovely. Gives a real pretty pop of color! They stain very well, and staying power, for me, is excellent. I have to rub them off with a wet tissue to get the color off completely! Like with the last photo, I tried rubbing the swatch off my wrist with my shirt, but it would not budge. LOL.
They do make my lips dry though, like most lip stains do, but my lips are naturally pretty dry. I love putting a gloss over these, which solves that problem and lets me customize the color. I love both colors but if I had to choose between the two it'd be #2 Pink, which is a lighter color. And I like using these as cheek tints even more. These give me a subtle, beautiful flush of color. And I can blend them easily.
These also smell nice. I think they're supposed to smell like cherries, but to me they smell just like jellyace, a local brand of jelly candy. Yum!
I wish we had Etude House here like we do The Face Shop. Etude House products seem so much fun and girly. I'll definitely be trying more Asian brand cosmetics :)
Like the Etude House Fresh Cherry Tints, in #2 Pink and #1 Red:
I saw these on one of my favorite beauty blogs (ABS- sooooo much eye candy here) months and months ago and was totally lemming for them, so it was a wonderful coincidence that Claudia had a few of these left as overstock from her last pre-order, which I missed. She was selling them at a reasonable price too, at PhP 340 each or around $7, so not like the ones up on ebay! Of course I grabbed them quickly. Here are swatches:
Looks and feels creamy upon application.
I smudged them with my finger. They're semi-dry here and look a bit like gloss...
Here's what the tints look like once dry, which doesn't take too long to happen.
A tip: exfoliate lips well and moisturize before using lip stains! This is why I didn't post a photo of the Fresh Cherry tints on my lips. But if applied on well-conditioned lips, these look lovely. Gives a real pretty pop of color! They stain very well, and staying power, for me, is excellent. I have to rub them off with a wet tissue to get the color off completely! Like with the last photo, I tried rubbing the swatch off my wrist with my shirt, but it would not budge. LOL.
They do make my lips dry though, like most lip stains do, but my lips are naturally pretty dry. I love putting a gloss over these, which solves that problem and lets me customize the color. I love both colors but if I had to choose between the two it'd be #2 Pink, which is a lighter color. And I like using these as cheek tints even more. These give me a subtle, beautiful flush of color. And I can blend them easily.
These also smell nice. I think they're supposed to smell like cherries, but to me they smell just like jellyace, a local brand of jelly candy. Yum!
I wish we had Etude House here like we do The Face Shop. Etude House products seem so much fun and girly. I'll definitely be trying more Asian brand cosmetics :)
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Avon Glazewear Dimensions Lipsticks, from Kikay Exchange's blog anniversary!
Kikay Exchange, which I visit regularly and consider a good read and local shopping guide, recently had their third blog anniversary, for which they held a giveaway. I was one of the lucky winners and received five (five!!!) Avon Glazewear Dimensions Lipsticks. I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered I'd won. And believe me, I really needed something to cheer me up at that time. They were sent promptly, and I was quite excited when I got them, I kinda tore at the little boxes while opening them, hehe.
Here are the five shades I received:
Pink Glimmer, Rose With Gold, Spotlight Coral, Nude Gold, and Pink Sugar.
They go on sheer, with lovely fine shimmers that make my lips look a bit more pouty. Feels pretty light on too. I'm sorry I don't have swatches up by the way, I had trouble making the colors show up on my humble point and shoot camera.
I've only really worn Spotlight Coral so far and really liked it. The shimmers are so pretty! I gave my mom one and let her pick out a color she liked and she chose Pink Glimmer :)
So thank you again to Kikay Exchange and Jillsabs! You made this lipstick junkie quite happy! :)
P.S. I'd really like to do my own giveaways soon but I haven't gathered enough prizes yet :)
Here are the five shades I received:
Pink Glimmer, Rose With Gold, Spotlight Coral, Nude Gold, and Pink Sugar.
They go on sheer, with lovely fine shimmers that make my lips look a bit more pouty. Feels pretty light on too. I'm sorry I don't have swatches up by the way, I had trouble making the colors show up on my humble point and shoot camera.
I've only really worn Spotlight Coral so far and really liked it. The shimmers are so pretty! I gave my mom one and let her pick out a color she liked and she chose Pink Glimmer :)
So thank you again to Kikay Exchange and Jillsabs! You made this lipstick junkie quite happy! :)
P.S. I'd really like to do my own giveaways soon but I haven't gathered enough prizes yet :)
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