Facial Care #MyBeautyConfession Facial Firming Treatment

Won a Facial Firming treatment from the swanky Facial care Center a few months back from their #My eautyConfession give away. The treatment was only valid until January 31, 2015 and surprise - surprise I was too busy to avail of the treatment and was only able to go before the last day! January 30, 2015! 

It's a good thing that they have a branch in MDC in Eastwood so I was able to go right after work. Actually Paul had a scheduled shoot after his shift so I figured I'd do errands and get my long delayed Facial firming treatment! 

Which is why I found myself in their beautiful offices at the 30th floor of MDC building in Eastwood. 

Before my treatment began I had a session with their Skin Consultant who asked about my facial cleaning rituals, we also talked about how the treatment was going to go, she was really very nice, even if she kept on calling me Marion (in case you didn't know my first name is Marica and I guess I got used to people misreading my name :p) The nice Skin Consultant lady said that the procedure will serve as a maintenance (I suddenly felt like I was a car! :p) but as a good friend of mine says - you only have one face so take care of it. 

Unfortunately Paul wasn't with me during the session since he had an ongoing shoot in the office. So my facial treatment was actually a way to kill time and it was a very relaxing way to kill time too! 

So-pardon the not so nice photos which I just took with my iPad. Hopefully the next time I visit Paul can come along to take photos which would really reflect how beautiful the place really is! 

There were a lot of treatment rooms inside, it was like a long corridor of rooms and when I entered I met my therapist and she asked me to change in a robe hehe super swanky indeed! :p I was even offered complimentary drinks -hehe I could really get used to this kind of treatment :) 

The bed in the treatment room was really comfortable, it even had a hotel-grade comforter to keep me snug and warm during the treatment, coupled with the relaxing music playing in the background I could actually almost fall asleep if someone wasn't scrubbing and exfoliating my face :p 

Super happy that I actually have 4 more facial firming treatments :D -expect a lot more posts about them -just because they are so amazing! I also appreciate that there was no up selling of their products after the procedure (I experienced that before with some skin centers and it really is a big turn off). 

Will probably be back next month for another facial firming treatment ^_^ Oh and they have other amazing procedures (some at big discounts at a time too!) 

Just make sure to like their Facebook page and follow them on Instagram for updates! :) 

With these long time clients - you know you're in good hands :) 

Nifty Nails with Caronia!

There's a side of me that loves nail polish. I love it because it's an easy way to elevate your look, even a simple coat of paint can level up your entire ensemble or outfit. There was a time when I even reviewed nail polish on the blog, I called the posts "Nifty Nails".

I have to admit I'm no Nail Art Master and there's a lot to be said about my manicure skills and most of them aren't good, which is a shame since my sister-in-law is really good at it too. :( 

Despite my lack of talent in applying nail polish I still love the art and I try to get my nails painted although my busy schedule (weekends are usually devoted to events and blogging) I haven't been able to paint my nails lately (booooo!)

Caronia's Blue Moon Collection 

When we attended Blogapalooza though I think my love for nail Polish was renewed when we visited the Caronia booth- I mean the brand Caronia is almost synonymous to nails. They've been at it for so long that everyone probably knows that famous jingle: 

"Caronia...Caronia...Your beauty shines with Caronia!" 

If you don't remember that jingle then you were probably too young then..and I hate you for it (kidding!)

Yes-it was worth mentioning that 90's jingle - but going back to 2014 I had fun at the Caronia booth, there was even this HUGE Nail Polosh you can take a selfie with ;> 

I think it's also worth mentioning that portion of purchase of Caronia's Blue Moon Collection goes to building the dreams of young dancers, as they have a partnership with Ballet Philippines. ^_^ 

You can find out more about helping supporting Ballet Philippine Foundation by visiting their social media sites www.facebook.com/CaroniaPH and @caroniaph on Twitter and Instagram. 

Who knows I might be back to doing some Nifty Nails posts again and this time with Caronia's help. :) 

Product Review: TONY MOLY Clean Dew Lemon Foam Cleanser

I've been using TONY MOLY's Clean Dew Foam Cleanser for a couple of years now- this is my third purchase and it's because I love the product! 

Since using it I haven't had any crazy break outs. I would say that the product is good on my skin ("hiyang"), it's at a good prize. The new release is at P198.00 for 180 ml. It lasts me for about a year - I kid you not. 

There are different variations for different skin types. I used to buy the Tea Tree variant, it's not available any more so I got the Lemon Cleanser (for normal skin types). 

I wouldn't spend a lot of money for facial cleansers so the Clean Dew, fits right in the budget and gets the job of cleaning my face done. :) 

This is a product I love and would continue patronizing simply because it's affordable and it works! :) 

Etude House Product Haul

I haven't done a product haul or a product review in a long time, mostly because well as I have already said before I really don't have the budget to do so. When I was just starting out blogging I knew I wouldn't be one of those make up, product review bloggers mostly because I can't afford it but every time I do get a product haul I'd still do a blog post on it. :) 

So recently I made a trip to Etude House and thanks to my sister-in-law and cousins-in law picked up a few items, I just really believe in! 

Here's what I got: 

Mascara Remover P198.00

I love this Mascara Remover so much that it's more of a need purchase than a want purchase. It very effective with not just removing mascara but eye make up in general. 

I remember telling myself that I would just rather not put on any mascara or eye make up if I don't have this Mascara Remover at hand. That's how much I'm dependent on it and at P198.00 it surely is a good deal. :) 

Cotton Puff            P48.00

Of course you can't have the ideal cleansing agent without the right applicator and Etude House's Cotton Puff it is! It's a flat cotton, square shaped that is ideal for removing eye make up. :) At P48.00 for 80 pieces it's not bad at all. :) After all remember that it's not just about buying the makeup but making sure that you get to remove it after. 

Oh~m Eye Liner    P248.00

What I love about Etude House is that their items come in different price ranges, there are the expensive ones and the not so expensive ones and for someone like me who buys make up on a budget that's good news indeed. 

I've been needing to buy a liquid eyeliner for sometime now and I was really glad to see that Etude House has the Oh~m' Eye Line for only P248.00. 

You can apply it easily without it drying up and ending up in clumps on your eye and there is no stinging painful sensation also! It stays long enough on your eyes as well. :) Will probably post a photo of me in make up using this, but not for now since I'm sick and I'm not really up for dolling up or anything :P 

Product Review: Etude House: Wonder Pore Freshner Toner

It's been some time since I've done a product review and while I really want to be that blogger who goes on product hauls every week, visiting stores to buy make up and other beauty products - I'm not but that does not mean that I won't make the most out of the beauty products that I do get to buy. 

So with my renewed fervor in blogging I will start my product review blogging (spree) hopefully with this Etude House: Wonder Pore Freshner Toner. 

Lately I've noticed that I am becoming more dependent with toners partly because I have been putting make up more often now and upon arriving home after a long day would need an effective toner to get the make up and dirt off my face. 

So after finishing my usual Ponds toner in a short amount of time I decided to buy a toner that would last longer. Hence my trip to Etude House looking for an ideal toner for someone like me who has oily skin and large pores! Remember it's important to know what kind of skin type you have so that you can buy beauty products that are ideal for you.  

Lo and behold their best selling Wonder Pore - Freshner! Which is a 7 on 1 total pore solution. 

1. Maintains a ph 4.5 + 1
2. Refines skin tones
3. Keeps the elasticity of pores
4. Deep cleanses pores 
5. Minimizes appearances of pores
6. Controls large amounts of sebum
7. Moisturizes the inside and outside of your skin. 

I had to edit some of the wording and grammar used from what was on the actual product. 

Honestly when I first saw this product I kept thinking of the Wonder Girls with their ever catchy and popular song 'Nobody but you' but singing girls aside this looked to be a very promising product. I mean anything that focuses on cleaning out the pores is a plus for me! 

I opted to purchase the 500ml bottle even if it cost P 798.00. The 250ml bottle was around P500+ so definitely bigger savings with the bigger bottle :) 

Packaging:

When purchasing the 500ml Wonder Pore it comes in an aqua plastic packaging that matches the color pattern of the bottle itself. The packaging is littered with cute illustrations and unfortunately more Korean than English words.

Here are some of the English text written on the bottle: 

The product is (a) total solution for pore care, preventing enlarged pores, less firmer skin (?) and skin troubles by eliminating what hurts skin health(y) from within. 

(Directions) Soak the make up cotton with the Freshner and wipe your face from the center to your face to the outside. With gentle patting, let the skin absorb the leftover Freshner. You can carry the Freshner in a mist type container and apply on your skin when there is too much sebum or (if) you have itchy feeling. 

(Caution) For external use only. Avoid contact with the eyes. Keep out of reach of children. Discontinue use if signs of irritation and/or rash appear. 

Pardon the editing within the parenthesis the inner grammar police in me couldn't help it.     

Hayley Williams Collection for MAC

Woke up to great news! ^_^ 

MAC will be collaborating with my all time favorite Hayley Williams for a Spring collection this coming April! 

The tones will mostly be warm, more specifically they will be 'orange-y'. 

Right now, I'm still in the fan-girl momentum (I gotttsaaa...gottssaaa..have this!) but I don't really wear orange so I'm not really sure how to work it yet-if ever I do decide to get the collection. 

So here is what the collection is made up off: 

Product Review: The Face Shop: Mini Floral Pet: Hand Cream

This was given to me as a gift from my good friend Haru and I absolutely love it! 
If you are not moved into a 'awww that is soo cuteee!' frenzy by the package alone then you have a heart of stone. Because just look at it! It is sooo cute! 

This Mini Floral Pet Hand Cream from The Face Shop is definitely a win-win buy. 
For about P 300.00 not sure of the exact price, you have this adowable (yup! adowable) container that has hand cream that is so soft and so fragrant. You definitely have no excuse to have rough and dry hands if you have this.  

Another great thing about this product is that I actually use it when there are strong scents in my hands and fingers like when I've been chopping onions or garlic. Sometimes when you wash your hands you just can't get the smell of onions or garlic off but with Mini Pet Floral that can easily be fixed and it does so it a subtle and fragrant way. 

Product Review: Etude House: Moistfull: Facial Moisturizer

Just like my Tony Moly Prestige Gel Liner product review, this is also a late review already since I purchased this Moistfull (facial) lotion in September of 2012. So I have been using this product for about 4 months now and I guess that gives me more to say about it. I bought this since I was looking for a good facial moisturizer. I did some research online and I found this product that seemed to do the trick when it comes to keeping your face moisturized. 

Product Review: Tony Moly: Prestige Eyeliner Gel

Not so brand new. You can already see the writing erased due to it being a couple of months old. 

This is actually already a late blog post since I made this purchase way back in September of 2012 (Paul bought it for me as an Anniversary gift). We did the product shoot for this in October, all this while thinking that we erased the photos but as I was going through our photos for our year end in photos lo! and behold! I saw the photos stashed away in one of our folders so here I am now months and months after making this late blog post. 

One advantage of writing this product review after a few months is that I've already been using the product for some time and here is what I have to say about it: 

Product Review: Etude House Princess 3D Mask

Princess 3D Mask with my Japanese wax doll :) (Japan and Korea right there) 

This is already a late product review. Actually I haven't been able to do much product reviews as of late. As you can see we've been pretty busy (and I mean really busy) these past few weeks, actually this weekend is the first weekend that I've had to myself for a long time. Although I did have to write 17 articles for a client- so I wouldn't really call it a 'weekend to myself'. 

So even with the deadline of 17 articles over the weekend I still wanted to insert this product review :) 

I actually have products to review already. They are all lined up and I've been using most of them already so I guess that's a good thing since I would have more to write about ;) 

Product Review: Etude House Pearl Extract

The Etude House Pearl Extract Mask is a very common product since Etude House has this product as one of the gift items that they give when you have reached a single purchase of P500.00. Aside from that this pearl mask only costs P58.00. 

I got this Pearl Extract Mask as a free gift. I got to try it out when I had a little time in my hands. I would rather be relaxed and be able to fully experience the mask rather than just trying it on but being in a hurry to get to work. 

Product Review: The Face Shop Rice Ceramide Toner

Gotta love this Rice Ceramide Moisture Toner

I've been meaning to try out a new toner and I came across Face Shop's Rice Ceramide Moisture Toner.

It comes in a 150ml bottle and costs around P300.00 (+) I have to get back to the store to make sure. :p 

As the name suggests it's a Moisture Toner so unlike the usual toners that are just like water this one has a thicker consistency and feel.

You can immediately feel the added moisture when you use it.

Unlike the traditional toners that can actually sting from time to time there is no stinging sensation when you are using this Rice Ceramide Moisture Toner.

The toner is made with extracts of fruits and plants. As the name suggests the toner has ceramide which helps in maintaining moisture and also prevents dry and flaky skin.

Product Review: Etude House Mascara Remover and Silky Cotton Pad

There was a paragraph that I had read which really struck me and caught my attention. The gist of the paragraph was that-if we spend so much time on putting on make up we should also spend time to make sure that we make an effort to removing the make up. 

I've always had trouble removing the make up I apply on my eyelids and of course the eyeliner and the mascara. After washing my face I would still find traces of eyeliner or mascara- so I decided to give Etude House's Mascara Remover a try. 

I really loved this product and I swear by it! It's always a part of my ritual before going to sleep. It's very effective and very easy to use. 

This is me with make up on. I have small eyes so I always make sure I put on eyeliner, eye shadow and mascara. The mascara isn't obvious here but I am wearing mascara. :) 

This is Etude House's Silky Cotton Pad which is also a great buy since it's great to use with the Mascara Remover. It's really soft and it's better than cotton especially if you are removing make up from your eyes. This box of Silk pads has 80 pieces and costs around P148.00.