I love opening packages...

I've been avoiding shopping online. :)  Plus I'm on a makeup buy ban, and this time, I've actually stuck to it.  Why?  Because recently I organized my stash and had to throw out a bunch of lippies that had gone bad, and I realized I had barely even used them.  I felt pretty bad about that. 

I did receive some makeup in the mail this week though, and I have Saila, The Adventurous Purple Koala to thank for that. :)  I happened to win her giveaway for a Fyrinnae gift voucher.  I chose mostly Lip Lustres, plus two shadows, and two blushes.  Processing time for my order took a reasonable 10 days, fyi, for people who might be discouraged from the time frame displayed on the Fyrinnae site.

Top to bottom- Lip Lustres in Lollipop-Pop, Fanservice, Meloncholy, Ryo-Pinko, Bloodstains, and Deceptive Innocence.  I want to do a separate post on the Lip Lustres. ♥

Glow Blushes in Intrigue and Charm, Arcane Magic eyeshadows in Velvet Vampire (I love the name, and the color!) and Electric Stardust, plus a free sample of Warrior Mage.  Warrior Mage is actually a shade I've ordered before.  But I'm not complaining, now I have an almost full size of it. :)

 

These smelled wonderful coming out of the package.  A Schwarzkopf Essensity Gift Pack, from Sophie of Beautynomics' massive anniversary giveaway.  Sophie said she loves how these soften her hair and smell so good! I received them weeks ago, but have only tried the shampoo since I'm waiting for a shower filter I ordered to arrive.

I admit, lately I haven't been taking good care of my skin, or my health in general!  I am having such bad breakouts.  But since the factors contributing to my breakouts (like my not sticking to a consistent skin care routine and having an unhealthy diet), are ones that I can control, I'm pretty confident I can get my skin, and myself, back in shape.  My recent order from Garden of Wisdom seems to be improving my skin already.

Wow, I've really missed getting getting stuff in the mail!

Skinfood concealers reviewed: Salmon Dark Circle Concealer Cream and Rice Concealer Tip

As much as I love mineral makeup, one thing it doesn't do for me is cover up my dark undereye circles.  The skin on my undereyes is also too dry for it, so I much prefer liquid or creamy concealers.  Enter my curiosity with Singaporean brand Skinfood.  I just had to check out these two concealers, which looked promising- the Salmon Dark Circle Concealer Cream and the Rice Concealer Tip.  Both come in only two shades, and I got the darker one for both.

Salmon Dark Circle Concealer Cream #23

As seen above, the Salmon Dark Circle Concealer Cream is packaged in a jar.  Mine probably tipped over to the side during transit and sorta melted which is why it looks like that.  It has a slight floral scent, which I don't  find bothersome.  It has a creamy consistency, which feels nice and moisturizing, but doesn't feel sticky.  Easy to spread too.  

The salmon undertone to it is a different shade from any other concealers I've tried, so I had high hopes that this would neutralize my purplish-greyish dark circles well.  I'd also read a number of raves for the product from fellow Asian bloggers.  It does deliver, but not as much as I'd hoped.  On days when I get a good night's sleep and my dark circles aren't as bad as they usually are, this works pretty good.  The shade does brighten up my eyes and gives a more refreshed, awake look to them.         

However, on the days that I really need my concealer to work on the dark circles I find so problematic, is when I don't reach for this.  I find that it does not provide enough coverage.  I only need a small amount, which I apply with my ring finger, and if I put on just a bit too much product,  I get that dreaded whitish/greyish cast or the reverse raccoon look.  Perhaps I needed something a bit darker...it's really too bad (and kinda ridiculous) that Skinfood's concealers only come in two shades.  

So, if you're looking to simply brighten up your undereye area or only have slight shadows under your eyes, do try this as it should work nicely.  But if you've got pretty extreme dark circles, like I do, I say skip this. 

Rice Concealer Tip #23

I bring my Rice Concealer Tip so often in my makeup pouch that the writing on it has rubbed off, hehe.  I use a clean finger to get a small amount of product off the sponge tip applicator and apply little by little underneath my eyes.  This has a mild scent to it too, which wears off after a while anyway.

The finish of this concealer is different from the Salmon concealer's.  It's liquid, not creamy, and has a matte, powder finish.  I was afraid that the matte texture would emphasize any dryness in my skin, but by making sure my undereyes are moisturized enough, as well as by using a primer (I currently use Sisley Instant Perfect), I was able to prevent that.  This dries relatively fast, so I have to try to blend it quickly.  Also, if I apply too much of it at once, it cakes.  Better to use just a smudge for each layer.  

I use this a lot because it gives great coverage.  If you check out the swatches below, you'll see that it is not sheer at all, so it does a good job of covering up my dark circles.  I wouldn't say it's HG material though, because it does fade about halfway through the day, and it doesn't completely, like 100% (yeah I have high expectations XD), cover the dark rings around my eyes.  But I do like it enough that I've finished up more than half of it.  And it's quite cheap! 

For a good, cheap fix for dark circles, yup, I'd recommend this!  I'm sure I'll be able to use up the entire tube, but I don't think I'll repurchase.  I'd rather try some other concealers  I've been curious about. :)   

Here are the swatches:

Under natural light, with flash.  Left - Salmon Dark Circle Concealer, Right - Rice Concealer Tip.

Under fluorescent light, with flash, same order.

Garden Of Wisdom GoAway Circles Eye Serum and Eye Majik Cream review

My undereye area suffers from both dark circles and premature wrinkles, so what I look for in eye care products are deep healing properties, that are not only preventative, but will hopefully promote noticeable improvement on the skin on my eye area.

*Photo taken from the GoW website

Most of my skin care items are purchased from Garden Of Wisdom, and naturally I had to try their eye care products.  So far I've tried two: the GoAway Circles Eye Serum, and Eye Majik Cream, which I used separately.

GoAway Circles Eye Serum

This serum is liquid, non-sticky, and is easily absorbed by my skin. It is unscented, and is very mild- didn't cause any stinging sensation or any irritation.  It also kept my skin quite moisturized.  I only needed a tiny dab for each eye, so the sample size lasted more than 6 months of use.  Actually I still have about half of it left in the fridge.  After those 6 months of application though, I did not notice any improvement in my dark circles or fine lines, so I stopped using it.

It probably works fine for other people, just not for me.  It's been mentioned in the Garden Of Wisdom forum that this product won't work on hereditary dark circles.  I don't think mine are, but overall this product still did nothing for me, and I was glad for the sample size.

Eye Majik Cream

I chose the waxless version of the Eye Majik Cream, since I'm prone to getting milia.  This is a very light cream that doesn't leave my skin shiny and can easily be worn underneath concealer.  I thought it was cool how I felt a firming, sort of tightening sensation on my skin every time I applied this.  It felt like my undereye area was being lifted and maybe looked more renewed.  

It did feel at times though like my skin wasn't getting enough moisturization from this product.  I finished the entire sample, which lasted me more than 3 months of daily application.  It also did zero for my dark circles.  I do think there was a bit of improvement on the fine lines and this helped a lot with any occasional puffiness, but since I need something which provides more moisturization (my undereye area can get pretty dry, but is prone to developing milia from super heavy creams, what a frustrating combination), I didn't repurchase.  

I still very much like Garden Of Wisdom's other products, and will be trying their Cellular Eye Complex next.  Also, I hope to post my skin care routine once my skin gets back on track. :)

A nice way to start the week...

...is by receiving and passing on a Beautiful Blogger Award! It's been a while since I got one of these.

Always a delight to receive one, even more so when it's unexpected. This is from Cathy, who shares my addiction to mineral cosmetics and creates beautiful, flawless looks with it! Thank you :)

I am passing on the award to these ladies, who might have received this before, but whom I'd like to say thank you to as well, just because.:

Thiamere

Jehan

Badet

Gale

Golden 

And here are seven random things about me:

1. I have three dogs- a lovable big yellow labrador, a cute shitzhu, and a hyperactive cocker spaniel- whom I love and seemed to have sparked my little daughter's liking for pets.

2. I didn't start putting moisturizer on my face or have an actual skincare routine 'til I was already 18 or 19!

3. My current exercise consists of an uphill walk with my little girl to the playground every other day.

4. My newest fave blog is io9.com (not beauty-related).

5. The last book I read was The Kite Runner.  Good lord, I cried so much while reading it!

6. I really enjoyed the new Glee episode where they sang all-madonna.

7. I would like one day to live outside Manila.

By Nature Handmade Soap in Olive Beauty

By Nature Handmade Soaps has soooo many scents and different types of soaps, and I've tried a bunch of them, but I've finally found my favorite- Olive Beauty!  Oh, how my dry skin loves this simple, mild, skin-softening soap.

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The soap ingredients contain a lot of oils:  Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Pure Essential Oils, Grapeseed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Vitamin E, Plant Extracts, Fruit Extracts.


The high oil content is probably what makes it best for dry skin.  And they are right to recommend this for those with sensitive skin as well.  It is so gentle that it has never aggravated my eczema. My baby girl uses this daily, and her skin loves it too!  We both used to use their Baby Blue soap, which is also nice- mild and helps calm and dry out skin irritations, but I find Olive Beauty more moisturizing.


I find that it really does help retain moisture in the skin, yet does not leave a sticky film behind, just softer skin.  Completely unscented, and smooth, with no exfoliating grains or ingredients.  I also like that I can use it on my acne-prone back and not get any breakouts, just the same skin-softening effect I get all over.


One thing I dislike about it is it seems to melt much faster than all the other variants, so we run out of this kinda fast.  Best to store it in a soap dish that doesn't retain any water at all, and away from the shower.


Got my last order through fellow blogger Dianne's shop, Organic Hub.  She's the perfect seller for impatient types like me.  I received replies to each email, like, minutes, after sending them.  She also nicely included a free sample of Sweet Sampaguita, which smelled just lovely, though not much like the Sampaguita flowers which remind me of church.

Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer For Natural Lash

I love it when people look at my eyes and after a moment ask, "Do you have makeup on?".  Hehe!  I don't always put makeup on when I go out these days, but when I'm in the mood to do a full face, I love putting a subtle emphasis on the eyes, which for me means a bit of eyeshadow, and lush, curled lashes.  

Falsies aren't for me, I still don't know how to put them on properly.  But with a good eyelash curler, mascara, and a mascara base like Etude House's Dr. Mascara Fixer For Natural Lash, I can achieve pretty, flirty, yet natural-looking lashes.

Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer For Natural Lash can be worn both before and after mascara.  The 'Natural Lash' variant is supposedly for separating and lengthening lashes.  Cost me only around P300 or less than $6 at the nearby Etude House branch.

The applicator is easy to use and is just the right size for my lashes.  You can see a little bit of the product here, which is a clear and non-sticky gel.

I really don't like spidery, clumpy lashes and this mascara base helps prevent that, which is what I mainly use it for.  I find that applying this beforehand makes mascara application a lot easier- no more ugly clumps of mascara! I don't see much lengthening effect, but the gel does seem to help comb through lashes and separate them.  So I still get tinted, volumized lashes from my mascara without the heavy, clumpy look.

One coat is enough for each time, and I have to take care to put on mascara right away after using this, otherwise I end up with clumpy lashes again because the Mascara Fixer dries relatively quickly.  So what I do is curl both lashes first with my Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, apply Dr. Mascara Fixer on one eye and immediately put on mascara, comb my lashes, then do the other eye.

The only thing I didn't like about this is that it had such a strong chemical scent when I first tried it that it made my eyes water.  But that didn't happen again with any succeeding applications and the smell seems to have faded now.  Overall, I consider this a pretty good, cheap find, and would buy the other variant (Perfect Lash) once I run out.

Great stuff from Humanhearnature and Messy Bessy

Lately all I seem to feel is tired. Fatigued, almost. :( I'm not sure why since I don't do a lot of anything that's particularly exhausting. A trip to the doctor is in order, but the weekend did perk me up a bit, as well as receiving my natural and organic goodies from The Good Earth.

I had to get more of my favorite Humanheartnature Hand Sanitizers. The Mandarin scent is for me, while the Watermelon scent is for hubby. I love these as they don't dry out my hands and they smell great. We've tried all 4 variants at this point- Mandarin, Watermelon, Strawberry, and Pineapple.

Pineapple remains my all-time fave. For me it's just sweet enough, and refreshing! I also like Mandarin, which reminds me a bit of orange peels but doesn't smell overly citrusy, and has the faintest scent of all variants. My hubby likes Watermelon best. This one does smell like watermelon, but after a while to me it starts smelling like those tree-shaped car fresheners. We both find Strawberry too sweet (scent reminds me of Strawberry Kool Aid), and that it turns sour as it dries.

I applied my new Humanheartnature's Hand & Body Lotion in Mango all over my body, and gosh, afterwards I smelled like one big yummy mango milkshake. Haha. Really nothing overpowering, just pleasant. I love tropical scents like these when the weather starts getting even hotter. The smell fades after about 5 minutes but I don't mind.

Not moisturizing enough for me as a body lotion though, since I have very dry skin, but probably good for gals with normal skin. I use it often as a hand lotion. My hands smell so good using this and the hand sanitizers.

I'm all about taking care of my poor hands, which I wash numerous times during the day (stay-at-home-mom to a one-year-old here!), so I replaced my old drugstore liquid hand soap with Messy Bessy's Aloe & Green Tea Hand Wash.

Messy Bessy is a Philippine brand which I find pretty interesting and would love to try more of. They sell a range of all-natural and biodegradable household products that are made of minimal ingredients. Plus the products are so inexpensive! The Hand Wash, for example, cost only P160 for a 390ml bottle. It has a mild green tea scent and doesn't leave my hands dry or aggravate my eczema, which is the main reason I ditched my old drugstore liquid soap.

To keep our bathroom smelling decent, I also ordered Messy Bessy's Diaper Bin Odor Absorber. Notice how simple the ingredients are: only baking soda and tea tree essential oil. And they're actually effective. :) One pack consists of 3 tea bag-like packets, each of which can be used for up to 3 months. Love that they cost only P120.

I've also used up a bottle of their Handy Nanny, a food-safe, organic disinfectant suitable for cleaning baby's toys or surroundings with. This is a cool product because it is so mild and safe, but really cleans. It looks like water but feels a bit stickier, and is perfect for moms who travel a lot with their babies.

If you'd be interested in trying out any of these, I highly recommend ordering from Tet of The Good Earth! She replies promptly to any queries and our transaction was so easy and efficient.

Always the insomniac

I felt like answering this weekly poll that I've been seeing on a number of blogs. I'm tired, but can never seem to fall asleep easily! Sigh.

1. How has your week been so far? Unexpectedly busy and tiring, especially last night and yesterday when my daughter kept a high fever. :(

2. What's your favorite mindless distraction? Oh this is easy. Scramble 2 on the iphone.

3. What's on the nails? Nothing. Wish I could put on some polish but the eczema on my right finger has been acting up.

4. Have you ever seen a UFO? No. I think I'd like to, though.

5. Do you eat seafood? Yup, pretty often.

6. Ever taken a photography class? No, but I did win 2 competitions for photojournalism. Hehe. I'd love to formally study photography.

7. What was your least favorite subject in school? Math. Always sucked at it. Oh, and Public Speaking courses. Hated those.

8. What was your favorite subject in school? English, Art, and Writing-related courses.

9. Do you wear scarves? No because it's hot here all the time.

10. Have you ever used LUSH Lemony Flutter? Was it good? Haven't tried it.

A peaceful Lenten season to everyone :)