NiceLadiesThings

I remember seeing an ad on  a fashion magazine of a powder foundation that stays put on your face for 12 hours and makes it flawless and oil free - that was years ago and I think it was a Shiseido brand which an average earner like me wouldn't be able to afford unless I save up for it. But since make-up is really not my choice of a splurge I had to live with drugstore brands - mediocre powders and foundations and of course, my oil control sheets.

My face is like an oil factory - I have big pores and super oily skin. I got this from my mom who has a very oily skin too. Though I've heard that people with oily skin are lucky because of the fact that it helps keep wrinkles at bay I still envy women with matte oil free skin (dry type?). They do not have to deal with applying a lot of powder or foundation to hide that ugly oil or shine - they do not have to worry after a few minutes or hours after applying make-up if they still look fresh or already shiny (sigh). So when L'oreal came up with their product Mat Magique powder back in 2014 I was intrigued because of its  low price at Php400! Then Maybelline came up with their own oil free 12hour foundation too and that one was way cheaper but that is another story.



Anyway here's the description of the product according to its box:

L'OREAL MAT MAGIQUE IN G1 VANILLA IVORY

If you have a very oily skin like mine, then chances are you will only be disappointed with this powder.
It didn't last me 12 hours! 2 hours and I am already a bit shiny with this one. Another 2 hours and I can already feel the oil if touch my face. I still love it, though. I love the shade of the powder and how soft it is. I use this on top of L'oreal's true match foundation in G3 Gold Vanilla and they're a perfect match. I like that I can easily tap it on my face after I apply my foundation and my pores are instantly gone as well as the shine too. After an hour or two, I would use an oil blotting film to remove shine and oil, and then I'd look fresh again.



The compact is surprisingly light - as I am used to IN2It and ZA's compacts which are quite long and very glossy. It is stubby but it is cute. The back of the compact is made of transparent matte plastic but it is still smooth to the touch which is nice - it is curved and hollowed - which I think is better so the powder won't break if you drop the compact.

Beside Maybelline's White Superfresh

Matt Magique in G1, Maybelline White Superfresh in 02 Nude Beige

Overall, I still like this powder because it is very soft and finely milled. After using it all up, I would probably try L'oreal's Infallible Pro Matte 16H powder next. This is priced at P400 and I got it for only P320 which is not bad. Last January, I remember this powder was even on sale at 50% for P200 and P150 for the refill! If I catch it on sale at that price, I will of course buy one again :-)

I remember being a fan of eyebrow pencils, probably about 4 or 5 years ago? With limited funds when it comes to make-up, I just couldn't find the right one for me - I always end up with harsh looking brows and most of the time - uneven brows. I have always wondered how celebrities get their perfect brows and why they looked brushed. Until I stumbled upon my first kit at The Body Shop which is my HG but it is expensive at P1,000+ per compact that has only 2 shades -so I then moved on and used Fanny Serrano's eyebrow kit, which I think I bought for only P350 for 4 shades in a compact, and I used this for quite sometime - about 2 years.

Looking at reviews online of other brow powder kits - a lot of people are raving about ELF's eyebrow kit, even comparing and saying its a dupe to the expensive Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow products.
I got curious so I bought one at SM, I got it for a fair price of P250 (this was I think P280 but I got it on sale). Only the dark shade was available which I thought was perfect for me.



No I haven't used this that much - the 2nd photo was the result of my little girl dropping my cosmetic bag and this is what happened, the powder broke so I had to throw away the loose ones.

When I first tried this, I was very disappointed. My eyebrows looked harsh and reddish and very ugly.
I regretted buying it and I forgot about it - until one day I decided to give it another shot. I realized the trick with regards to its application: use very minimal wax powder because it is very pigmented. Then using the compact's brush, the bigger end is not that thick but soft enough to apply the lighter powder by tapping it on the inner part or thicker part of your brows and it creates that natural thick eyebrow look. The other good thing about this compact is - your eyebrows won't budge under humid weather and minimal perspiration and face oiliness. Overall this is a very good buy and I am planning on buying the medium shade too - I only wish that the mirror is bigger so that putting this on and making even eyebrows would be a breeze.

Next, Avon finally came up with their own eyebrow kit, although it is not cheap for P350 - I got mine on sale for P239. 


I have to be honest that I used mine only about twice. I can say for now that the product was okay.
I was surprised that the compact was small because it is housed in the same compact that Avon uses for their quad shadows and blushes. Those were big. Look at them side by side:

Quad compact shadow on the left, and the tiny cute one on the right is the brow compact.

Avon's perfect eyebrow kit in soft brown T102

I went for the Soft Brown shade because I have recently colored my hair dark brown. The other one is Deep Brown which is more of a darker or near black color. I would probably edit this and try using this one more often so I can tell you if this is great. It's all L'oreal's fault - I got excited with their Brow Artist Genius Kit. From P400 I got it on sale for P200. Avon can't beat that price!

One more thing - I didn't like this compact's brush. Come on Avon, do you really think you can actually use this brush? It is a double ended brush but the bristles are made of thick nylon, both of them! - not skin friendly. I have thin eyebrows so using this brush would hurt my skin. So, prepare to use your own slanted brush for this one.


Okay, so L'oreal posted on facebook that for 3 days their Genius eyebrow kit will be on sale at P200 (original retail is P400). On the day of the sale, I went to SM Fairview to buy mine and I am indeed lucky I got one! Most customers were complaining that the product was out of stock in all branches. Anyway, this is indeed a good buy. This is what I am using right now:



The compact is tiny and light. It is not glossy and heavy and expensive looking but it doesn't look cheap too.
I love that it has a large mirror so you wouldn't really need a separate bigger mirror when you are applying this especially if you are on the go and applying your make-up in the car.


The lighter chocolate brown on the left is the wax, and unlike Elf's kit, this one is just perfect - its consistency is quite oilier that if you apply it you really wouldn't see any color on your brows not until after you apply the powder on the right, its darker brown shade is the best because even if you apply a lot it wouldn't look that strong or harsh.

The double ended brush is consisted of a spoolie and a slanted brush, very usable! The spoolie is great when you need to comb your eyebrows to eliminate the excess powder and create that natural looking brows!
Overall for now L'oreal's kit is my HG - I would try Maybelline's soon or Nyx's. Will post pictures soon for each one of these and I promise to give Avon a chance too! :-)

Our family is a huge fan of online shopping - especially those with a COD (Cash on Delivery) payment method option. My brother always has vouchers and would ask me what I wanted to buy at Lazada. Power banks are in these days but I didn't think I really need it - I realized though that its a must have for me especially when I am out in the office on training from 9am to 5pm and since my phone is almost 2 years old - the battery drains really fast especially with the data/internet turned on.

This cute powerbank caught my eye at Lazada - especially because it is cheap. I do not know what a Totoro is but I learned from research online that it is a cartoon character in a Japanese anime film. Anyway, I know I should have purchased a more reliable brand like Romoss but I decided to try this one because it is CUTE!


It was on a discounted price of P474 with a freebie 8ml Rose scented EDT but with my brother's voucher I only paid about P390 for this which isn't really that much.


This is how big it is - for me its quite handy and its not that heavy. The plastic material (the pink portion) has a rough texture (not rubberized) which is fine for a better grip, the white portion is smooth.

The box has no manual or instructions at all even at the back its just blank- and that made me realize that this is indeed a generic powerbank which means that its declared capacity should not be expected. The included USB cable is quite disappointing because its short - probably about 10-12 inches.




The lights of the powerbank blinks as it charges which is really cute - but its performance is inadequate.

Charging time takes exactly 8 hours. I tried it and it only charged my Samsung Note II once (full charge) and an Iphone 4s (1 full and 50% charge). Calculating these devices battery mAH it means technically this powerbank only has 5,245 mAh or probably less at 5000mAh compared to what it claims that it is 20,000mAh.
So I am keeping this cute little thing, I just hope it would last! I don't really mind if it really has only 5,000 mAh as long as it is durable somehow.

I was using Belo Kojic + Tranexamic Acid products (soap and lotion) for a good 6 months last year when suddenly I suffered from skin itching due to a food allergic reaction. I had to stop using both the soap and lotion for weeks because my arms and legs were filled with itchy red pimple like bumps - I used some sulfur soap and vitamin E lotion and after about 3 weeks my skin's back but I felt I needed to use a different whitening regimen. SkinWhite looked promising to me so I gave it a try.


The soap at 90g is about P60 at Puregold Supermarkets and the smallest lotion (very cute and handy 50ml bottle btw) is priced at P89. (It is expensive!)

So since I saved the box of the soap - here's exactly what was written on the back:

"Here's an energetic way to white! Treat your skin to a large helping of Glutathione made better with a dose of Vitamin C for a refreshing way to beautiful blush white skin in just 7 days!
Still not convinced? This soap is also powered with our exclusive Advanced TriPower Technology that:

1. Helps block nasty UV rays*
2. Suppress melanin production, and
3. Prevents its release to the outermost skin layer, preventing skin darkening

Skinwhite's Vitanourish formula contains Vitamins A, B3, C and E for full on moisturization so your skin doesn't just look good but feels good. Its Synchronized Whitening Technology whitens, moisturizes and protects your skin all at the same time.

You're on your way to your beautiful blush white skin ever, so atta girl1

For best results, apply SkinWhite Glutathione + Vitamin C Lotion after bathing.

*synergistic effect when used with SkinWhite Glutathione + Vitamin C Lotion


The soap lathers great and smells lovely! One 90g bar lasted 2 weeks on me compared to Belo's soap which at P60 also only lasts 7 days. The lotion - hours after my first application my skin was dry! I can see the patches of my white dry skin which is bad. The good thing is after a week my skin was able to adjust and the dryness was gone. What I didn't like about the lotion is its TOO THICK. I had a hard time at first applying it evenly on my arms especially because I am quite on the hairy side (balbon hehe). You also have to wait a while for this to dry down on your skin but after that you'll see that the lotion delivered in terms of its promise of instant whitening. The good thing is my skin is lighter from using Belo - and it even got whiter (only instantly) with this lotion.

Stepping into the shower I realized how thick the lotion was. I watched my arms transform from a white color to a darker shade as the lotion washes off. Its like body foundation, and after 2 weeks of using the lotion I felt its not effective in terms of natural whitening. It instantly whitens, yes but its still not the real thing which is bad. What if it rains and your arms get wet? I'm sure you'll see white steaks on your arms which won't be a good sight. I can't imagine how this lotion would look on a natural morena skin toned lady. It is WHITE and it is THICK and will sit on top of your skin and act like some kind of foundation for that instant whitening - it wouldn't look pretty on a morena, if you want to use this you'll probably have to use a Kojic soap first then this one.

Let me show you a picture of me in natural outdoor daylight with this lotion:


As you can see my arms skin color are lighter than my legs - I only use the lotion on my arms btw given that it is expensive - I use a Nivea whitening lotion for my legs. All my life I've always known that my legs skin color is whiter than my arms because it is always exposed to the sun whenever I go out. But after the summer of 2015 due to several swimming parties with my family and me wearing short shorts I suspect my legs were still trying to recover from skin darkening. My point is the lotion's instant whitening effect is good given how light my arms look in this picture. And given how thick it is - it only has SPF20 but when my mom and I shopped over at Divisoria last December and walked hours under the sun my skin did not suffer from any darkening at all!

I also used these while using the soap and lotion:



The facial cleanser is just okay. Its just an ordinary facial cleanser. It didn't give me any breakouts same with the face cream powder - but I didn't like that it smells too strong - its like you're putting alcohol on your face. Meanwhile, I was impressed with the face cream powder's shade - the natural beige is so perfect for me! My face color is whiter than my arms I think - but this one disappeared on my facial skin like a perfect foundation shade! A true match for my (all over) skin color! Its also a cream face powder so you'll feel weird at first applying this on your skin the texture and feel is different but I am pleased because it is very matte and it covered my pores. I used up about 3 sachets of this and if you're lazy to put your foundation on then this will do.


For now I am back to using Belo's Kojic Acid + Tranexamic Acid lotion and found a perfect pair for it which is Kojie San's Dream White Anti-Aging Soap (cheaper than Belo's Kojic Acid + Tranexamic Acid soap and effective! They are compatible.) I would say that my legs has recovered and is now back to its natural whiter color but the good thing is my arms and legs' color are now even! :-)

For now I can say that I would buy SkinWhite's lotion again just for the purpose of instant whitening if needed and also because it is a very good sunblock!

This is my very first time trying out a L'oreal hair color. I bought this because it was on sale for P399 from its original retail price of P499- then after a few months L'oreal announced that this hair color will be on a permanently markdown price at P399. I had to laugh because I remember rushing into a Watson's store just to buy this one to catch up on the sale and save P100.

It took me about 15 minutes to decide which color to buy and I settled for this one because I hate orangey/coppery colors - it just doesn't suit my skin tone. I learned from my Revlon disaster hair color experience that any hair dye with a "golden" on its name - no matter how beautiful the model's picture was on the box - will turn out reddish/orangish on me. But after trying out this one - I learned it will also depend on your previous hair's color/state.



As you can see on the box, this is a beautiful color - it doesn't have a hint of red/orange on it.
Its almost like a darker hazel brown or caramel brown shade. But I was disappointed with the outcome after using this.



When I first opened the box - I can't stop sniffing it - it smells lovely like an expensive perfume has been sprayed on it. Only L'oreal hair colors have a protective pre-color serum. Most brands doesn't have one. They have also included a mini comb that you can use to replace the pointed applicator for an easy even hair color application.


I'll make this review short - so here are the facts:

My hair: natural straight hair - shoulder length as of this coloring January 2016
Previous hair color: Kolours in Medium Brown October 2015

About 12-14 hours from my last shower - I applied the hair color minutes after putting the protective pre-color serum on my hair. I didn't bother testing for any allergic reaction which I know is wrong. I was praying while dyeing my hair because I've read some articles of people who died while coloring their hair. Anyway, so I did put the protective pre-color serum mostly on the lower parts of my hair as advised on the leaflet - to protect the dry ends.  The serum smells a fresh floral smell - very nice. I was a bit doubtful also because the serum shouldn't be rinsed off according to instructions - so I was really thinking how the color would stick.

So here is my after shower photo. When I first looked in the mirror - I wanted to cry:




Clearly a disaster I know. My hair feels oh so soft and smells great thanks to the generous amount of their after color conditioner (a 40ml conditioner that you can use 2-3x) but when I looked in the mirror I was very disappointed.


The top of my head is color orange or gold or whatever. The middle and bottom - its dark brown - same color before I dyed. I wanted to like it so much and say, give it a couple of more days but I will be attending an office meeting in 2 days and I can't afford to look like this.



It's impossible that one box isn't enough - I have thin shoulder length hair. I used all of the mixture and my hair was very saturated all over with this hair color. I used a shower cap too and left it 30-35 minutes before rinsing.


Kolours saved my life after 24 hours - good thing I have a spare Medium Brown shade stock. I colored my roots the next morning. I really wanted to like this but I can't stand seeing myself with a very orangey top hair color and dark brown in the middle to bottom - if all my hair has turned this orangey/golden evenly all over perhaps I wouldn't mind.

So perhaps in the future I would still buy a L'oreal hair color given that their price is more affordable now at P399. Next time I would skip the Pre-color protective serum because I was suspecting that was the culprit why the color didn't stick. I would also leave it on for 50 minutes. I would also probably buy their Chocolate / Caramel brown shade.


PROs:
- Serum and conditioner smells good
- Color when mixed also smells pretty
- I love the comb applicator
- My hair feels so soft and shiny after coloring
- Easy to remove hair color stains on ears/face

CONs:
 - Color outcome on me not good - the color didn't stick
 - Chemical is too strong - I felt some stinging and my eyes watered a little while applying this
 - A bit expensive at P399


So the next time I buy a L'oreal hair color or if you plan on buying one - have a L'oreal expert at the mall apply it for you. They sometimes have booths that offers free application service and I will probably try that.

When I was younger, I've always dreamed of having that white, mestiza skin. But I knew it was impossible to achieve that - so I resorted to whitening soaps and lotions and at some point spending more money buying glutathione pills just to make my skin lighter.

I am not sure when it happened - but probably hitting 30 is when I stopped using whitening soaps and lotions. You see, I am a mom of two without any stay in house help and I work graveyard shifts so I guess I just stopped caring - I stopped wearing make-up at work and only wanted one thing: SLEEP!

But don't get me wrong, I continued to care for my self by making sure I am always clean - I still apply skin toner and Olay moisturizer on my face and for my bath soap I was very happy with Olay Total Effects Intense Moisture face and body bar (Gold).  I swear by this soap - this is the only one that made my skin oh so soft even without lotion! I love this one so much that I am pretty sure that in a few months I'll be using it again. (I still have stocks too!)


Anyway, so I wasn't really obsessed anymore to have lighter skin - until one day, while being a housewife for months already, this cousin of mine showed up and I noticed her skin is whiter and glowing. She told me then she was using Kojic soap. (Kojie San brand)

I never liked Kojic soaps, back when I was younger I bought a bar and it dried my skin and I felt pain in my stomach area everytime I use it so I stopped and never looked back. But then now my cousin is looking so white and glowing all over that I just have to give it another try. I bought the brand she is using (even the Kojic lotion) but its not that effective and I was restless but just in time I saw this Belo product at a grocery store - the Belo Kojic Acid + Tranexamic Acid Intensive Whitening Body Cream.

I bought the soap and the big sized body cream at a Mercury drugstore for Php199.75 and the soap at Puregold for Php59.75.  I used these products from June - October this year, this by far being the longest whitening brand I have used. And am I satisfied? YES!






Here's what I can say so far:

PROs:

• The lotion has a sweet floral smell, just light and not overwhelming. Consistency is quite light for a cream but that is alright for me because I never had a hard time applying the lotion evenly on my arms and legs.
• The soap smells good too! Lathers easily as well.
• The product has SPF30
• This made my skin glow and definitely lighter! 

CONs:

• The soap lasts only 7 days - if used twice a day probably less than that, and for its P59 price it is expensive
• The lotion is expensive too - it is P199 at Mercury drugstores and at SM supermarkets. I bought one the other day at Puregold (they never had this in their stores only the soap but they have added it recently) and I got the big one for only P179. Not sure if there was a price markdown on this one because I haven't been at SM lately.
• You have to avoid the sun even if this has SPF30 because your skin will easily burn and you'll be back to square one of your whitening goal.
• You really have to use the same soap to go with the lotion - somehow, when I tried a different cheaper Kojic soap and applied the Belo lotion, my skin looked dull and darker 

From June 24 - Oct 15, I used up 2 big 150ml bottles of this and a 50ml one but the soap I can't count its too many!

I used the lotion only once a day and the soap on a daily basis. I can say my skin glowed, it has become lighter and even more lighter under natural sunlight and even under artificial lights. I had to stop using this only by October after an allergy attack - my skin was super itchy with pimple like bumps. After that, I used SkinWhite which I'll review as well but all I can say is that I love this product and now I am back to using it! :-)



(Note: This is not a sponsored review)

I am a fan of Hello Kitty since I was a child. So when these cases came out in the market - all I thought was - would there be one for a Samsung Note 2 model? The colors I see the most is hot pink - or fuchsia pink - I am not sure whatever pink type of color it is but its just girly teenage pink, and so I forgot about it.

I attempted to buy one and had tried to hold this case one time, but since I don't have my phone with me, I didn't buy it as I don't want to waste my money in case the fit's not right. Also, the vendor's asking price was P250, which I think is quite too much for a case.

When I searched for it online - I was surprised its on the web, here's the online photo:

This is not my photo - credits to the owner

I asked again one day - really interested this time, and another vendor gave it to me for P190 so I bought it.

Here are my shots:

Boxed case - front

Back portion - in cute striped pink

Out of the box - its soft and a bit loose

Here's the fit on my phone:

I had to match the wallpaper and it looked fab! Very girly!

Hello Kitty's head is kinda thick - but was nicely done

Here's what I can say about this case:

Pros:

- It's cheap at P190 which is a haggled price. I could probably get this at Divi for P150
- It's made of silicone rubber and is soft to the touch and nice to hold - gives a good grip. Color and design is cute and eye catching.
- Gives added protection to my phone given that it is made of rubber and absorbs shock (from falls)
- The white material of Hello Kitty's head is easy to clean - you wipe it with a cloth and its perfectly clean and white again
- The overall cleanliness of the phone case is not hard to maintain or perhaps my hands are probably clean all the time whenever I hold my phone. The pink color of the case remained clean pink all throughout a month that I used it.


Cons:
- The gold heart chain is cute and nice but after a week I got tired of it.
- My 2 year old daughter has removed the decor ribbon (upper left at the back) after just a week of use - I had to use some superglue to stick it back together and I had to glue it back twice.
- I decided to remove the heart chain attached to the ribbon because its weight somehow pulls the ribbon.


There you go - if you will buy a case like this make sure to check the fit first and the product very well. I am obsessive compulsive to details - when I bought this pink color I had to choose between the red one and this one. I was hoping to buy the red because its Hello Kitty's original color but its fit on my phone is bad and loose and there are some distortions on the design (Hello Kitty's head). The pink one was just perfect. I also checked out the black version of this from a different store but its material is quite rough and loose and there are some ugly damages on the design so I didn't buy it. I am hoping to get some more cases like this one but in a different design. On my next trip to Divi I will hunt for these: (These photos are from the web - credits to the sites who own them)




Update: As of December 2015, I had bought another one in black color. I couldn't resist because the seller was giving it to me for P160 only. Here it is: