Random Tuesday: Emo Gie, Avocado, Dreams, Boots, Steering Wheel and A Book

Every now and then, I question myself why I blog. I'm quite sure it's not for the money (last I checked, this blog earned $8 on adsense and payout is $100 so I still have 9 years before I could even ask for a payout. lol) and one blog post usually takes about an hour to complete - an hour better spent on other things like perhaps reading a book or playing with my kids or taking a nap. Obviously not popularity and recognition as I prefer to stay anonymous, if I can help it; case in point, I have 300+ friends on Facebook and only a dozen people know that I blog. 3 of them found the blog first before they were able to connect me to it. My social networks have different sets of people whereas if you find a person on my Instagram, don't expect him/her to be on my Facebook friends and even on my Twitter.

but still..

Maybe it's the feeling of being able to write down pieces of my life, like breadcrumbs on my trail so I won't get lost and I will be able to come back when need be. Be able to help other people to decide on things -even as small as where to eat or what best to pick up for a cleansing oil - just by writing. I made new friends through this blog, appreciative friends who are willing to share their lives with me as well. I will  be forever thankful for that :) and there's something more to it that I cannot really explain. maybe someday, I'll be able to put them to words, for now I'm just enjoying the feeling and bliss. 

so, I am now turning my *emo* mode off and on with my cheery blogging self :)

I really think avocados are the most versatile fruit ever, don't you think? I love them chunky with milk and ice. I dig avocado shakes too. they taste good on Mexican dishes. Avocado and honey make a good facial mask - very hydrating! Anyway, below is my hubby's version of avocado dessert: chilled avocado, condensed milk then sprinkled with sugar. yummo! :)

Here's a snapshot of our dreams coming true. I truly hope we make it. Wish us luck!  lots and lots of it :)

..and then my mother's gardening boots. I hate to hand these boots to my father, I would like to keep them, together with my mom's things I've been keeping in a special box since she went away. I know these boots were the closest to her heart. She literally walked in them.

after 3 long years, this steering wheel - and the rest of its car parts. lol - and I were reunited! I first drove on my own with this baby. we felt right for each other. ;)

If you're a mom who feels harassed with house/family chores all the time, please take time to read this book. it is not in any way profound but the main character, Eva, is very easy to relate to. Let her humor you. :)

so that's it! I wish everyone a nice week! :)

#Aug8isthebigday! :)

Nature Republic Soothing Moisture Aloe 80% Toner Review

I meant to review this a long time ago but my camera sucks so I had to hijack my hubby's phone to be able to get better shots. ;)

This is my default toner because it is very mild and did not trigger my skin allergy. I love the smell too :)

Nature Republic Soothing Moisture Aloe 80% Toner

*lookie! it's almost gone ;)*

Okay, it doesn't do anything special but for me, its mildness is a big plus. My skin cannot stand too strong toners; I won't break out (pimple, acne etc) but as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow, hives will come out - in FULL force!

One word of caution though, people with oily skin, please be careful when using this, as I think it encourages oilies to come out (perhaps it's the moisturizing component of this toner) :( in my honest opinion - and I'm a combi -  oilies will come out in 3-4 hours after application (this is wash-tone-moisturize only). doesn't matter though if you will use it under a mattifier (that is if you prime prior to makeup application)

It's 290Php from Nature Republic Festival Mall branch

so that's it! :)

#mustbemyshortestreviewpostever.

Perfect Lippie Project: Wet N Wild Silk Finish Lipstick in 514A Cherry Frost

So who wants juicy lips? 

Here is a lipstick that made my lips look so much juicier and yeah, fuller *methinks*

Wet N Wild Silk Finish Lipstick in 514A Cherry Frost is crazy pigmented, color payoff is really amazing and it is quite true to its tube color. The swatch below is just one swipe, I don't think I'll need more.

Wet N Wild Silk Finish Lipstick in 514A Cherry Frost 

I bought this for 119Php at SM Southmall. I was looking for Wet 'n' Wild #521A Fuschia w/ Blue Pearl but it was OOS so I just picked this up since its swatches looked good. I wasn't expecting it to be THIS red and I kinda like it. It's my kind of red ;)

This is not a long wearing one, but it's a dream to apply and it stains a bit.

Anyway, WHAT I DON'T LIKE about this product is the packaging. This was the last 514A and I didn't like the other colors available so I took and paid for this even if the cap has a tiny crack :( Also the lipstick itself doesn't go all the way down as seen above, top middle photo, which is very hazardous to clumsy ladies like me. lol :D Just be careful when replacing the cap so you won't mess up the lippie, or if you own a lip brush, might as well, depot ;)

Cherry Frost on me :)

#mustlovered.

I *heart* Original Carmex Jar!

So last April *hehe.. now you know how late this post is!* Carmex PH sent me a goodie bag for review. I got 2 click sticks, 1 squeeze tube and the original jar as seen here.

Truth be told, I wasn't in a real hurry to try Carmex as I was a fierce Alba Botanica lip balm fan and since I realized, it's not possible for me to go through all four Carmex products within, say, a year, I decided to give one of the click sticks to my BFF mommy T and the squeeze tube to my daughter, for review. lol :D The original jar and the Cherry click stick went straight to my purse. haha.

I really find the original jar interesting even before the goodie bag especially when I heard it works well with insect bites. Mommy mode on, Carmex can be used as antiseptic for minor cuts, burns and insect bites - and that's according to their site: Carmex website

It also claims to work on relieving the "itchies" caused by athlete's foot, for drying your pimples in record time,  and as a cuticle softener. Yeah, works on elbows and knees too. I cannot confirm these claims for now as I'm not sure if I would want to try Carmex on those areas but we will see. Perhaps if I buy a separate pot for body parts since I'm already using my current pot on my lips. *hello? from my lips to your athlete's foot?*

I think I started using this pot early June when I got this nasty sore in the corner of mouth and it was hella painful!! The BFF told me that her Carmex click stick worked well on his son's chapped lips so I gave my tin pot a chance. I'm so glad I did because I instantly felt good after applying it on my lips and to my surprise, it did more than sooth my lips; it definitely made it smoother! think happy, gliding lippie and you'll get what I mean :)

so, yeah, I'm a convert. hehe

In my book, Carmex is a medicated balm so it's definitely not your ordinary balm. I tried it on an insect bite and yes, it did something to it too (the sting disappeared after applying a thin layer on it) I like applying it to my lips before going to bed then a quick gentle lip scrub in the morning while taking a bath. Soft, baby lips the whole day, love! I now use this everyday, this tin pot, and the click stick is sitting pretty inside my bag :)

definitely purchasing another one as mine is already halfway down.

Oh, as it is a medicated balm, expect the "medicated" smell as well, like a Chinese balm but trust me, it's so good, you won't mind the smell. You'll get used to it anyway.

Thank you CarmexPH for this opportunity to get to know your products! I'm loving them :)

#lovingtheweather! :)

A "What's in My Makeup Bag" Post

..err, i think that should be "pouch", not bag. Bag sounds too big for my makeup things. lol :D

Anyway, I'm going to do a really short "makeup bag" post just to amuse my friends who constantly raid my bag - that's what girlfriends do right? This is my on-the-go, everyday makeup pouch and I think I'm only missing my eye brushes here - which may have been mistakenly placed in my other makeup BAG - yeah, she deserves to be called as bag since her size justifies it. ^^

Note that I don't usually bring with me stuff that I'd hate to lose. I'm pretty much known for losing my things when I'm out especially when with the baby. So here it is, the things that made it to my "makeup bag":

E.L.F. Eyelash Curler
Tony Moly Backstage gel liner #11 Diva Gray
Beauty Credit Lovely Eye Color in Hot Pink
Kiehl's Marvelous Mineral Mascara
Etude House Line Nuance Duo #3 Miss Coral and Cubic Pink
Etude House Soft Touch Auto Lipliner 4 Real Rose
Ever Bilena Advance Perfect Eye Concealer C01 Light
NYX Matte Lipstick in Merlot
NYX Round Lipstick in Spellbound
Alba Botanica Terra Tint SPF8 in Blaze
Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB Cream
In2It Eyebrow powder
Tony Moly Tony LIP/CHEEK Tint #02 Red Apple

The green mesh pouch, I got as a freebie when I bought Garnier's eye cream (i think?) which unfortunately, didn't work for me. Oh well, at least I got something out of that purchase. lol :D There's an insert in the photo showing how the pouch was able to fit everything perfectly and as fickle-minded as I am, the mesh-part helps a lot when I want to replace a product or two in there.

so there, I hope you enjoyed this post as well. Have a nice day everyone!

#lunch@3pm :(

Cleansing Diets, Do They Work?

I've always been fascinated with cleanse/cleansing diets, well, eversince Beyonce told Oprah that she turned to liquid diet which she called as "Master Cleanse fast" back then, to help her lose pounds. I'm going to admit it here, just by looking at what a cleanse diet involves, it's enough to send me home crying, scared and scarred for life! I mean, The Lemonade diet in particular, did you know that when you engage in such diet, there will be no food and no other liquid to consume for days but the lemonade concoction? which I really don't think is palatable in the first place. and yes, it won't require you to exercise; you won't have the energy to do so anyway.

So moving forward, aside from losing some pounds, I'm particularly interested in removing toxins from my body. I've always believed that toxins inside the body is the, first and foremost, cause of cancer. Yeah, I'm weird like that but I find my theory more sensible than what other people come up these days. lol :D

I've been keeping an eye on cleansing diets for quite some time now and what I would like is something that would help me remove toxins but still keep my energy at its normal level - at the very least - because as you all know, I work 9-5 and 5-9 ie round the clock and a mom like me cannot afford a day without energy to work on chores. I personally prefer a cleansing diet complete with a support team (doctors, if not asking too  much) who knows something about proper cleanse, to guide me how to do it properly. Can you tell that I am hesitating? :) My idea of a best cleanse program would be something that is strongly supported by the medical community or at the very least, something that has been proven safe and effective for humans with a support team of medically trained staff to answer my concerns. A detailed testimonial - or two, about it, would also be nice, like this one here: Clean Program reviews

How about you? What do you think? Have you tried cleansing diets?

Perfect Lippie Shade Project: NYX Round Lipstick in Spellbound

I'll make this one short as I still have lots of things to do - as today is Saturday and laundry is already calling my name - and I just want to squeeze in this lippie post before things get too crazy around here. lol ^^

The latest addition to my collection *eep! did I just call it a "collection"? I'm so dead -.-* would be this pink baby below:  NYX Spellbound. I must warn you now, this is a chameleon lipstick ie it changes color from one lip to another. Do a Google search on its swatches and you'll see what I mean; it's a lot redder on other people while on others, it came up pinkish - like it did mine. Anyhoo, I'm loving this shade - pagirl lang ang peg. lol ^^

NYX Round Lipstick in Spellbound

So yeah, as you can see, tube shade looks redder (pink-red maybe?) but on me it's a nice pink :) Spellbound is supposed to be NYX Louisiana's identical twin ie you have to really really get to know both to tell the difference, but as Spellbound yielded a different shade on me, I'm still interested in giving Louisiana a try ;)

same price 150Php, same stall Pop Culture-ATC (I'm on a first name basis with the stall attendant now. lol) I noticed this particular tube doesn't have the signature soapy smell I noted on the other two NYX round lippies that I own.

Oh and, Spellbound is not a frosted shade so another YAY! for that :)

Me, my arte bebe and his papi  ^^

Tell me, what's your favorite NYX lippie shade? :)

#lipstickbrigade!mmmmwwwah! <3

First Impression: Blogging on New Chrome App for iOS

So basically I'm blogging from this new Chrome app for iOS on my iTouch. Pretty decent but I'm missing some buttons here. Currently you can't upload photos from your phone and you can only blog using the "Edit HTML" tab, not on the "compose" tab. If you're comfortable with codes, this may work for you. Dashboard is pretty much intact, Google blog feed and all.

While this may not do anything for me at the moment, I'm not going to remove this app for now and I'm actually looking forward to future updates. Very interesting app :) hmm..

Tony Moly Clean Dew Lemon Seed Massage Cream Review

I'm having a not so good day today and I'm in bad need of milk tea *can you make that a litre, pretty please?* It's review week at work and someone who is "overly" informed has been having the time of her life marking my work with ugly mistake marks. Mind you, my work is far from wrong, she is not even sure if her information is correct and acceptable, she just assumed. *sigh* :(

Moving on, here below is my favorite cleansing cream from Tonymoly :) I honestly think Tonymoly has the best Korean skincare products available locally, either that or i just got lucky, their products suit my skin very well. I've been testing a couple of brands and I find Tonymoly as the most effective for me. My only complaint is that Tonymoly doesn't have a branch or even a tiny stall anywhere south so basically, if I would like a Tonymoly fix, the nearest would be SM Makati, still a long travel from where I am now - well, thank God, not for long. hihi :)

150ml for only 198Php, not bad.

According to Tony Moly Philippines' official Facebook page:

Clean Dew Lemon Seed Massage Cream


This massage/cleansing cream has a skin brightening effect.


Tissue off Type
Contains Lemon extract / 10-Seed extract
For Oily / acne-prone skin
For people with a dark and somber skin tone
For people who want a light massage cream


Php 198

A squirt of yellow, creamy goodness ;)

I'm not a "whitening" type of person anymore - I once was, but not anymore; I'm more into "brightening" products now as I find them more helpful especially when I'm in a lot of stress - which happens a lot these days. Also, I realized, i like my discolorations too. lol :D

This indeed brightens the skin right after use. You can either tissue it off or wash it off with warm water (not tap as it won't completely come off if tap or cold) The smell is hands down LEMON and it can be overwhelming at first (I was ordered out of the room, the first time the sensitive-nosed hubby encountered the smell. lol) It is very creamy, a delight to apply :) What I super like about this cleansing cream is that it instantly melts off oil in the face. I use this in the morning (I hate morning oilies! nakakabwiset lang -.-) as well as when taking off my makeup because it does a really good job of picking up residues left by the oil-based makeup remover. I would compare this to your good ol' Pond's cold cream, yeah, the smell too.

I'm also digging its packaging. I like that it is in a tube rather than in a tub as it is more hygienic that way. very convenient to bring when traveling. It didn't irritate my skin too. While it is effective in melting and keeping the oilies at bay, it didn't dry out my skin so that would also be a plus for me since I have combi skin. 

Except for the strong smell -which you can get used to after some time - there's nothing I don't like about this product. I highly recommend if you're looking for a good cleansing cream :)

#irefusetobeharassed! :D

Random Tuesday: Taho, Facial Sponge, Kamay ni Hesus and Longganisang Lucban!

One of the many things I love about my husband is that he pays attention to the things I blabber about. He may not show it at the moment - he's the silent type, the complete opposite of me - but he remembers tiny details which I usually forget an hour or so after my "monologue".

Last week, I blabbered in passing about my wanting 2 eggs and 5 pandesals for breakfast and he supplied me the exact things in exact amounts specified for 5 mornings straight before going to work which indeed amused me. On the 5th day, I told him, no more eggs for me. I'm done with eggs.

Then one time after the egg diet, I whined about craving for taho. The next morning, taho was what i got for breakfast. lol :D

Sweet, little gestures that make me weak at the knees :)

I'm now developing a very bad habit of swatching every makeup product I see at the mall. I can now tell the difference between a NYX primer and a Revlon one, how it felt and how my skin reacted. You can throw me a question about dupes and I can throw back a reco or two and where to buy it. lol :D  After a month-long-makeup-buying frenzy, I've, once again, put myself into a buying ban. I now find refuge in swatching. lol :D 

A mindless PCX stroll led me to a wall-full of bath tool goodies and look what I found: Aqua Massage Naturale Demaquillage Cellulose Sponge! This is goood stuff, i highly recommend! Full review to come (as requested by my Instafriend @mzhellakitty ;)

2 sponge "cookies" for 52.75Php

My poor feet after climbing the very steep hill of Kamay ni Hesus. I was puffing and huffing and sweating all over but since I was there to ask for a "sign", I just take the struggle as a necessary offer, something I should give in order to receive better and clearer signs :) to be honest, I thought I would pass out after reaching the top and I resisted the urge to roll on my way down. gahh. it was that hard.

..and this would be the highlight of my Lucban, Quezon trip: Longganisang Lucban! Okay, not exactly, since the baby puked on me minutes before we reached Kamay ni Hesus, and my daughter managed to break the straps of her flipflops while strolling around. lol :D Nonetheless, it was a trip to remember.

My hubby is a shutterbug. Here below is a photo of my little boy and I while resting halfway the steep climb, taken by my husband. ^^

#letthegoodvibesroll! :)