Colour Collection Whitening Gluta BB Cream

At first I thought this BB cream seems a few shades darker than my skin tone but as I applied it on my face, it actually blended well with the colour of my skin. It evened out my skintone and my face matched the color of my neck much closer after using this BB cream. It has light to medium coverage since my acne blemishes are still slightly visible but has lightened significantly too. 

Here's my before/after picture using the Colour Collection Gluta Whitening BB Cream alone, no touch ups or concealers. Notice how even-toned and brighter my skin looks after using it.

It has a dewy effect on my skin so it tends to get oily after a few hours so some finishing powder on top of this BB Cream should help settle the oiliness. The BB cream feels light on my skin and I barely feel like I put anything on. 

Overall I like the effect of this BB cream. That it has SPF 30, whitening effects, and the hazel extracts it contains that helps heals acnes and blemishes among all the other benefits is definitely a plus on my book! It's reasonably priced at Php 599.00 for a 40ml tube and available through the Tupperware brand. 

Get your free samples from Sample Room now! :)

Foot Appeal: My July BDJBox 7-Day Challenge

Warning: There may be pictures in this post that may gross out some people, so proceed at your own discretion. Thank you.

I received this foot peeling mask Foot Appeal from my July BDJ Box. To be honest, I have never even heard of at-home foot peeling masks before this. My idea of foot masks are the ones done in Nail Salon Spas.

Anyway, after opening the pack, you will see two separate sock-shaped plastics with fluid inside. You have to be careful when cutting the packs open so the fluids don't spill out and wear it on your feet so that your feet are soaking in the fluids. (Sorry I don't have a picture of the plastic socks and the soaking since I had to put my kids to bed and didn't have time to take a pic). 

They also provide a piece of sticky tape to fasten the plastic socks on your feet to prevent it from slipping. You also need to wear a regular sock over your Foot Appeal plastic socks and leave it to soak for about 60-90mins.

Notice from my Before picture above that I had a lot of rough spots "kalyo" and cracked heel. 

For me, I soaked my feet for only 60 mins since I didn't realize that I had some scrapes on my toe that was stinging from the soak. It is advisable to use the Foot Appeal mask only when you don't have any wounds or broken skin on your feet. 

I washed my feet with warm soapy water afterwards. (And I must say that the soaking fluid really stinks!) As if it's like a heavy alcohol/acetone smell. Buy hey, it's the price we pay for beauty. Hehe. I also noticed that I should have took off my nail polish prior to using the mask since the nail polish on my toes had also disintegrated. 

Anyway, I didn't notice much the first 2-3 days. But on the 3rd night, I noticed some peeling on my feet...

The 4th-5th day... A LOT more peeling! It was begining to look like my skin was shedding like snake's skin does! And even while I pulled away some of the hanging peeled skin...it wasn't painful at all. By the way, it's best not to forcefully pull off peeling skin to prevent damage to the new skin.

As you can see, those are BIG peeled skin...I was afraid that it was going to hurt but it never did. It was like taking off the top layer and revealing new smoother skin underneath!

After 7 days, there was minimal peeling left and this is what my heel and the bottom of my feet look like...

As you can see on my 7th day...my heels were visibly smoother but the sole of my feet in the mid area still needs some work but has a lot of improvement as well.

Below is a closer inspection of the "before" and "after" pic of my heel for closer comparison:

The "before" pic was taken with flash at night while the "after" pic was takin with morning light streaming through the window. You will notice that the "after" pic of my feet is more pinkish and smooth. 

Overall, I think Foot Appeal really works and am quite positive that after subsequent uses, it will help eliminate ALL of my rough spots thoroughly. Since it is suggested in the packaging that you use this every 2-3 months, will be purchasing another two in the next few months again. Am giving one to my hubby for his use and another for mine! Can't believe how different my heels look now! Am LOVIN' it!!! ;)

How about you? Think this is worth a try?

Check out https://www.facebook.com/footappeal

To get your own subscription to BDJBox visit http://www.bdjbox.com

Sleeping Baby

I wake up every morning to this sweet little face and couldn't help but write this for him...

"Little baby by my side,

Sweetly sleeping with happy dreams,

Please stay like this a while more,

my baby don't grow up just yet,

your sweet smell and soft breathe...

makes Mommy want to cuddle you in bed.

Baby don't grow up just yet."

- R. Lim

Colour Collection Vitamin E Lipstick

I was lucky enough to nab two Colour Collection Vitamin E Lipsticks from Sample Room the other day...one shade is Kissmark (Matte) and another is Pinkish Nude (Sheer)...a feat in itself since sample stocks run out after just 30 mins.!  But it does pay to be a VIP Sampleroom member. Hehe! ;)

Anyway, this review is about the matte lipstick shade in Kissmark.  Am excited to try out this lipstick since it's my first time to own a Colour Collection lipstick which by the way is a brand by the direct-selling company Tupperware Philippines.

What I like about the lipstick:

• The Vitamin E in the lipstick helps it glide on my lips surprisingly easy and is indeed very matte as you can see in my photo.  I was expecting it to feel dry since it's matte but it actually made my lips feel supple.

• The color pay-off is quiet good.  I only had to swipe the lipstick on my lips once to get the result you see on my picture below.  

• I love the nice vibrant pink hue...I think it suits my fair complexion quite nicely and brightens up my face.

• I've had to touch up only once after having lunch due to some lipstick transfer.  So the staying power is pretty good too.

• It has UV ray protection!

Cons? I can't really think of any right now since am pretty happy with the results of this Colour Collection lipstick.  And priced at only Php330, it's a steal!  Will definitely try out their other shades when I get the chance.

Make-up for My Look of the Day:

•  K-Palette Lasting 2-way Eyebrow Liner from Beauty Bar

• Ofra Eyeshadow in Millenium Gold from Glamourbox

• Eye of Horus Natural Smokey Eye Pencil from Glamourbox

•  Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara

•  The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Tint (used on my cheeks only)

•  Too Cool for School BB Cream  (SM North branch)

•  Palgantong Theatrical Powder in Original Beige from Glamourbox

•  Colour Collection Vitamin E Lipstick in Kissmark is available at your local Tupperware Philippines dealers or at these following branches here.

Be a member of Sample Room @ http://www.sampleroom.ph/ to get free samples like this Colour Collection lipstick here!

April Glamourbox: Pixi Magic Tink Tint

My favorite item in the April Glamourbox is the Pixi Magic Tink Tint in Happy Thoughts Pink!
I love the whimsical packaging that merges with Disney's Tinkerbell character. This is the first time I've ever seen and tried a lip tint in twist-up crayon form. And I must say it works fantabulously well! Am now a big fan of this Pixi Magic Tink Tint. Just a swipe or two brings out a pinkish hue on your lips that's unique only to you. It conditioned my lips with a subtle sheen. And no flaky lips all day too! Barely needed any touch ups even after having dinner out with my hubby.
I love how natural it looked on me! And how it instantly brightened my face as seen in the before and after picture below. All I added to my "before" face was the Pixi Magic Tink Tint. No alterations or touch-ups done to the pics. Did you notice how my face seem to have a radiant glow after?

"Think Happy Thoughts as this subtly blooming, super nourishing gel crayon tints your lips in true Tinker Bell style. With shea butter & lip-plumping hyaluronic acid. It will keep your lips in optimum condition."
- Glamourbox

Retails at Php735 exclusively available at http://www.glamourbox.ph

APRIL BDJ BOX: Revlon Nail Art Expressionist

The April BDJ Box actually came earlier than I expected. Got it on April 13. I immediately opened it as soon as I got home since it was my first BDJ Box and was excited to see the contents.

The product that excited me most was the new Revlon Nail Art Expressionist in Monet. The Revlon Expressionist came with two shades on each end. The creamy green shade came with a normal polish brush while the shimmery lime green shade has the slim nail art brush.
Am quite adventurous when it comes to nail polish colors so I didn't mind the bright greens and yellow shade Monet has. In fact, I actually own an Essie shade very close to the green shade of Monet.

Just the other day, I was actually telling myself how much I wanted to try out doing nail art on myself at home. So when a nail art set was sent as part of the BDJ Box, I was more than excited to try immediately! I played with different designs on each finger. Forgive the rough nail art, it's a first for me. I did a simpler design on my toenails though.

So here goes the 7 day challenge on how well the Revlon Expressionist can withstand a hands-on momma's daily grind ;)
Base Coat: Elianto
Nail Polish: Revlon Expressionist in Monet
Top Coat: Caronia Fast Drying


Day 1:  It was easy to apply the #1 creamy base color in green but was actually quite challenging to do the #2 nail art design on myself.  Specially using my left hand to draw on my right fingers. 

And for the record I'd have to mention that am a right-handed stay-at-home-mom who does not have a nanny right now and takes care of two boys...a 5 year old and a toddler. We have a housemaid to do the cooking and cleaning but taking care of the kids is all on me (with some help from hubby). I feed, bathe and play with them. Just so you have a general idea of my everyday activity and get a picture of how this will affect the staying power of the nail polish.
Okay, now that that's out of the way...back to my review... ;)

Day 2: The tip of 3 nails on my right hand shows a little chipping but not so noticeable. Nothing a little touch-up magic can fix. My left hand polished nails are still intact. No touch ups done on my left hand. Toenails lookin as good as it did yesterday.

Day 3: Pretty much the same...some chipping on my right, but my left hand nail polish had some chipping on 3 tips too. Toenails still look fine.

Day 4:  I had to remove the nail polish on my fingers coz there was major chipping on both hands, partly due to some cloth diaper washing I did. I tried re-doing my nails in another design but couldn't get it to look good enough since the #1 cream base side was getting too thick to apply. Maybe partly due to the hot weather? I couldn't seem to get it to look good so after an hour or so, I had to take it off again. Toenails still going strong... No chipping whatsover.

Day 5-7:  My toenails has seen no chipping and I haven't done any touch-ups on all 7 days on my toe's nail polish. They still look as good as Day 1.

Verdict:
The #1 green cream base polish swipes down a pretty solid color, although the consistency seemed to have thickened on the 2nd and 3rd use, making it look too chunky when swiped on nails. The consistency of the #2 yellow shade stayed the same...I love the shimmery effect it has.
I had lots of fun creating "art" on my nails. And for a mom who has almost no time to go out and get nail spa treatments, it has been such a delight for me to be able to play around with my nails at home for a bit.
I love the vibrant summery color of the polish and look forward to my next shopping day to see if Revlon counters are already selling other Revlon Nail Art colors I might be interested in getting.
I guess if you don't do much house chores the polish lasts longer like it did on my toes.
Also, I think I need to look for a new base polish because although Elianto base protects my nails from yellowing, it does make the polish peel easily after a day or two.

So can anyone recommend a better base polish?

My Hair Hero: Snoe Super Fresh

I heard lots of good things about Snoe products lately and found myself going back to Trinoma to check (and purchase) their products every Sunday 3 weekends in a row now. What can I say? Am addicted to their great products. Great quality and cute packaging as well.

So far I got their Argan Oil, a Snoe Rogue Deluxe lipstick in Precious Pout, Hair Heroes Intense Argan Oil and my latest love...the Hair Hero of the day:

Snoe Super Fresh!
Price:   Php 299.00
Product Size:   50 ml

The small green bottle at closer inspection shows a fine shimmery liquid...looks like bottled up magic! :)
I have very thick slightly wavy hair that tends to get dry. It's been almost a year since I've had a color treatment done.

My hair normally looks like this as seen on the upper left picture. The other photos on top right and below are the curls I got the next day...

How I used the Snoe Super Fresh to achieve this look:
1. Spray the product on clean dry hair.
2. Use foam rollers to curl hair and sleep on it overnight.
3. Wake up the next morning, take out rollers and style hair as needed. Voila! Curly locks!

Quite easy, isn't it?

Cons:
1. Kinda pricey for a small bottle.
2. The tight curls lasted around a few hours only and became sexy beach waves for the rest of the day as the bottle promised (which is not so bad and is quite good) but I would have wanted my tight curls to last longer.

Pros:
1. I do love the soft curly locks I achieved after using it.
2. Love the wonderful scent...am tempted to spray it on my hair every hour everyday.
3. I think the small bottle will last a long time since it takes only a few sprays to get the desired waves. And when I do run out of Super Fresh, will definitely restock! :)

Will probably do a review on my Snoe Rogue lipstick soon... since am equally impressed by it too.

You can find Snoe kiosks inside Landmark department store in Trinoma. Or purchase at their online shop http://snoebeauty.shopinas.com/
or check out their websites for more info on other products and check other locations where you can find Snoe products near you:
http://www.facebook.com/SnoeBeauty
http://www.snoebeauty.com/

What I Cried About Today.. A letter to my Aunt who Passed Away

I've recently lost a great aunt...my cousins lost their dear mom and my mom lost her loving sister. It's a sad time for all of us since we didn't see it coming. The only signs of her being sick was her fatigue, which can be easily mistaken for something unalarming.
She was diagnosed with Acquired Aplastic Anemia a few days after her 62nd birthday. She was confined the hospital for about a week, and just last Saturday morning while my family was in Tagaytay, we got the news that she passed away already.
It just hurts a lot...many of us cannot believe she's gone now. And I know many of us are asking "why?".  But we don't know what God's plan is. For her husband and her kids and the rest of the family she herself was not ready to leave behind. We just have to move on and keep memories of her in our hearts.
Many of us were not able to say goodbye and see her alive one last time, so this is my way of getting some closure...

Dear Auntie M.,

Thank you for being a wonderful sister to my mom. I will always be grateful for the way you  candidly advised her, looked out for her and listened to her.
I love the candid photo of you taken at my wedding...how you smiled and cheered for us. You looked so happy for us that day, I truly am touched at how you embraced being our Ninang that day.
We will miss your leche flan, the gigantic prawns you bring to christmas dinners, your ready laugh and fondness of the kids.
We will just miss you.

May you be at peace, Auntie M. Don't worry about us... we will get through somehow. You taught us how to be strong.

My Breast Eczema Ordeal and My brief encounter with Dr. Jack Newman

I almost weaned my 19 month old toddler prematurely. The pain I experienced from breast eczema was so bad, I was biting my lip from trying to bear with the pain everytime my toddler latched on. I came to dread breastfeeding the past month. My baby refuses to drink from a bottle and would cry when I refused to nurse, so I bore the pain for weeks, thinking the sores will eventually go away. I thought I had thrush since almost everyone I know and most of what I've read online pointed my symptoms were that of a bad thrush infection. But after several anti-fungal drug treatments and I wasn't getting any better, I decided it was time to visit Dr. Christina Bernardo at Medical City. She's one of the highly recommended Gynecologists/Pediatrician here in Manila who specializes in breastfeeding and lactation problems.

My symptoms:
1.  Sore & cracked nipples that didn't improve even with the use of several good nipple creams.
2.  Dry flaky skin around nipple and areola.
3.  Sores developing on the sides of nipples due to tearing when baby latches on to sensitive and dry nipples.
4.  Occassional bleeding due to the cracks.
5.  Incredible (sometimes shooting) pain during breastfeeding due to the sores ("singaw"-like wounds) that is isolated near nipple/areola area.

After my visit to Dr. Bernardo, it was such a relief to know that I only had severe breast eczema and not thrush as I initially thought. Turns out that thrush has symptoms almost similar to breast eczema except that the shooting pain you feel usually radiates from the nipple towards the back of the breast near your armpit. And with thrush, your baby usually has white spots or sores in his mouth as well...something which my S didn't have. She prescribed oral antibiotics to help the sores heal faster and a topical steroid/anti-inflammatory cream to be applied on the affected areas. She asked me to take the antibiotics and use the cream for seven days.

I was so thrilled when I noticed an immediate improvement after the first application of the cream. After seven days, my nipples looked normal again! The eczema made my nipples look so dreadful for so many weeks that I've begun to forget what my normal nipples looked like! And the best thing? My baby and I can finally breastfeed pain-free after so long :)

The downside...eczema doesn't clear up easily. My areola started to get dry and itchy again with signs of the flaky skin returning a day after I stopped using the steroidal cream.

I was dreading the return of the eczema again and was afraid continous use of the steroidal cream would be bad for my baby as well. That was when I stumbled upon Dr. Jack Newman's facebook account and email add. Almost everyone who researched about breastfeeding would know Dr. Newman and his wonderfully informative latch-on videos. From what I've observed, he was generously giving advice to anyone who posted breastfeeding questions on his FB wall. So I tried emailing him the details of my symptoms and concern. What have I got to lose? I was desperate for advice. I was so thrilled when he responded within an hour after I sent him my email! Dr. Jack Newman responded!!! Wow! ;)

He reassured me that it was safe to use the steroidal cream every 2 to 3 days and see what works for me until the eczema clears up. He also suggested that I could use olive oil to help with the dry patches that may appear. So far, the olive oil and occassional use of the cream helps in keeping the eczema at bay.

To contact Dr. Jack Newman, in case your breastfeeding concerns are not addressed by his online sources, you may contact him here at the IBC site.

Dr. Christina Bernardo can be reached through The Bernardo Clinic, or you may contact her assistant Jane thru 09228216012.

Guest Post & a Prize

Woohoo! Last December I joined a blog giveaway by the Crash Test Mommies and won their first prize. Along with the prize was that I was given an opportunity to write a review of the product I got and was featured as a Guest Post in their site... Please take time to read my review and see what I won!

You can read my guest post at the Crash Test Mommies' site.

My Lip Miracle in a pot!

Having dry chapped lips has always been a perpetual problem for me. You know those moments when you try on lipsticks in mall counters and suddenly notice your chapped flaky lips in the mirror?Making it embarrassing to try on different lippies since they'd all look awful either way?

That was until I discovered Ellana Lipscrub while browsing one of my favorite online stores...

Caleb's Closet Ecostore.  It's a lipscrub made of sugar, vitamin E, shea and murumuru oils in Grapefruit variant. I tried it on my parched lips as soon as it arrived in my doorstep and was happily surprised how it left my lips soft and smooth. Not a dry flake in sight! The sugar scrubs away the dry flakes gently and the grapefruit sugary taste makes it a pleasant experience.

This will be a definite mainstay in my pursebag from now on. No more flakes, just soft kissable yummy lips from now on!

By the way, Multiply is having a special 20% discount on all purchases in their Trusted Sellers online shops. Just encode PH-TWENTYOFF in the discount code box upon checkout. Or try encoding PH-CHECKOUT to get Php250 off for at least a Php500 worth of purchase. Promo discount til February 15 only. Let's shop!!! :)