La Tentation De Nina Fragrance Review

Note to Readers: YES this is a FULL review of the perfume rather than an event coverage. Read on read on. I didn't receive any complimentary perfume bottles or what-nots because I wasn't able to really attend the full event. I am writing this review because I really love perfumes!

Last July 22nd, I was invited to numerous events that I tried my best to manage my time. First one up was the very intimate press launch of La Tentation De Nina held at Poetry and Prose Patisserie at Shangri-La Plaza. As much as I would love to cover the event, I wasn't able to attend fully and just drop by because of time constraints. However, I had the opportunity to spray on the latest fragrance from Nina Ricci and being the frustrated pinay perfumista that I was, tried to put my olfactory senses on full force despite my colds & allergies to review this scent for you!

It's better to smell the perfume ON YOUR SKIN than on paper. I just did not have the photo of me smelling my wrists haha

La Tentation De Nina Perfume Notes

Base - White Musk, Vanilla, and Sandal Wood

Middle - Macarons, Lemon, Almonds, Rose, Raspberry

Top - Bergamot

Main notes according to my nose - Sandal Wood, Vanilla, Raspberry, Macarons

La Tentation de Nina, Nina L'Elixir, Nina, Nina L'eau

Staying Power

An average of 6 hours and I can still smell it on my wrists

Sillage (How it emanates from your body)

It has a soft sillage that only those who are near you can smell. It's a very sexy, sweet, and intimate fragrance

KikaysiKat Tip: Staying power and Sillage (pronounced as See-arge) are different. Sillage is how people smell it from you. You know, when a lady walk past you and it's either you wrinkle your nose from foul smell or close your eyes because she smells like an angel

Review

I've always been a Nina Fan ever since their first perfume came out which was the original Nina perfume that I received as a gift. My boyfriend loves the scent on me, he tells me I smell like a princess whenever I wear it. 

My broken Nina bottle. Lost cap. Almost empty. Sad really :(

Being a Nina perfume fan, discovering that they made an edgier fragrance for us is a delight. The neon pink bottle is very eye-catching giving the notion that this Nina is the aggressive type BUT the fragrance still says otherwise. The scent still smells soft and princessy to me, none of the edge. They were probably looking for that via the lemon and rose notes but it still gets overpowered by the sweetness of Macarons.

If you are a fan of powdery and sweet scents this is a must for you! The bottle would be a nice addition to your growing collection.

KikaysiKat Rating 4/5 stars

Asian Secrets Facial Scrub Review

I received this a couple of weeks ago for review and I can't wait to share with you guys what I think. Companies who appreciate reviews, either good or with constructive criticisms are to be admired! Here's what I think on Asian Secrets Facial Scrub

I've always been a fan of Asian Secrets Body Scrub because of how great it smelled! Think of "Tommy Girl" perfume in a whitening scrub form. I love to slather it on my dry skin before I take a shower and when it gets rinsed off my body, I can see how dirty the water looks! Hahahahaha! 

I did not dare put the Asian Secrets Body Scrub on my face, it seems to harsh. It's nice to discover that they finally made Asian Secrets Facial Scrub, something we can finally use on our sensitive faces. 

If you don't know yet, the term Lulur came from Indonesia which means to "coat the skin" it is a ceremony in which the bride partakes before her wedding to ensure she's at her beautiful best.

Just so you know, this is a snapshot of my leg and not my face. I can't imagine having a face this hairy ala Moon of Desire. The whitening facial scrub has a very mousse-like texture with bits of scrub you can feel. I prefer having more particles in my facial scrub, makes it feel more clean.

It feels nice to slather on my face because it's soft like whipped cream BUT I cannot let this stay too long or else it will sting. I don't know which ingredient causes that sensation but no matter how gentle I scrub, it will sting. Maybe it shouldn't be left on your face too long?

I can't say much about its whitening effect BUT I can say it's one of the better facial scrubs in the market. Because it uses natural exfoliating beads. Have you heard of companies being sued for poisoning the waters because they use "plastic" beads in their scrubs. I won't mention brands but most face scrubs use plastic beads instead of natural ones. 

Retail Price:  50g - PHP70.00 & 100g - PHP120.00

This and St. Ives uses natural exfoliating beads that is environment friendly. 

What face scrub do you use? I'm curious if you use something different that we can all try. 

Kikaysikat Tip: You have to use a separate facial wash after this scrub because to ensure your face is truly clean after

KikaysiKat rating 3/5 stars

WINNER Announcements: Salad Box x Skin Food x Black Sugar x KikaysiKat

Finally! I'm so glad we're ready to announce the winner of Skinfood and Salad Box's Black Sugar Contest that we held a couple of months ago. I'm going to contact you via instagram! You just won 2,500 worth of Black Sugar Gold Skincare courtesy of Skinfood and Salad Box. Scroll below to see if you won!

So congratulations to you @twistoffate20 and I hope you like your prize! I will message you via instagram to get your shipping details.



It's hush hush but to those who are reading, there's an upcoming event where 1 lucky reader get's the chance to be with me and get a makeover for a  makeup competition and win kikay makeup goodies! *ehem*Korean Makeup* Ehem* Missha*  So keep visiting to get first dibs!

For other giveaways, the July Commenter of the Month is still up til end of July, so you still have the chance to win win win!. But wait til August. MORE winners. BIGGER prizes.

Gluta C Lightening Cream Review - What I Really Think

There are a lot of skin lightening creams out in the market and I understand it can be a tough task to decide which one to try or buy.  I always prefer skin lightening creams that already has a built in SPF so I can skip using sunblock when I'm out in a hurry. I first discovered Gluta C products through another blogger, my good friend Donnarence from MyLucidIntervals. She mentioned how great the moisturizer was because it has all the simple qualities a girl will look for in a lightening day cream.

1. High SPF for sun protection
2. Non comedogenic and Hypoallergenic
3. Light and Non-sticky
4. Affordable
5. Has an effective whitening ingredient

I purchased the large pump a couple of years back and I loved it. Since I'm now trying out all sorts of skin whitening creams I decided to buy another tube to use and finally feature Gluta C Lightening Cream with SPF 25 for review! (Yes. I do BUY them products)

GLUTA C LIGHTENING CREAM INGREDIENTS

• Glutathione - I don't really buy the idea of glutathione can lighten skin externally. It doesn't make any sense at all. Glutathione is an anti-oxidant that works internally in our liver, that gives a side effect of skin whitening when taken internally or thru IV. Companies probably use this as a marketing strategy because all things "gluta" means whitening. 

• Vitamin C - This is actually the ingredient that can lighten our skin a bit

• Vitamin A - An exfoliant to micropeel dead skin cells and help our skin naturally renew 

• Vitamin E - A natural anti-oxidant to keep our skin soft and plump

• Shea Butter - It gives our skin moisture. Remember, moisture doesn't mean oily!

• Niacinamide - Another effective ingredient for whitening the skin by minimizing the melanin on the outer layer of our skin. It also works for preventing acne.

• Titanium dioxide - The source of sun protection. SPF 25 is pretty good for a day cream

GLUTA C LIGHTENING CREAM REVIEW

As with almost all whitening creams in the regular market. Do not expect miracles. This product will not make your skin any lighter, BUT it is a good day cream if you plan on maintaining your skin's fairness. 

What I like about Gluta C Lightening Cream?

• High SPF!
• Non-oily. It actually helps control oil. It has a matte finish
• Does not clog my pores!
• Affordable. I think it retails around less than 100php per tube

What I don't like about Gluta C Lightening Cream?

• The packaging. While the tube is nice, I really don't think the yellow and orange color is attractive enough. Even the font they used on the label. 

Will I buy again?

Yes but not any time soon. We have a LOT of whitening creams to try! 

Did you guys notice I tried watermarking again? While trying to google my reviews I spotted some "copiers" who stole my blogpost and photos and used it on their website. Now this is the internet and everyone can do whatever they want. So what I did is put my watermark site so at least people know that the photos and text are originally mine.

A little goes a long way!

KikaySiKat Rating 4/5 Stars!

My Top 5 MAC Lipstick Favorites - What Does Your Lipstick Color REALLY Say About YOU?

We, women wear lipstick to add color to our bare faces. We use them if we need a little bit of perking up. We put them on when we go out. I have a set of MAC lipstick favorites that's always always in my stash and I keep purchasing over and over when I run out. I added more fun to my review by adding fun personality interpretations to my favorite MAC lipstick colors. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

What's your favorite MAC lipstick and why? I'd like to know!

MAC Ruby Woo

RED

Some will say wearing red is worn by someone confident. It is actually the other way around. You wear red lipstick because you specifically need that boost. You need to feel powerful, sexy, and confident that you have to wear a striking red lip color to match your needs. My all-time fave red lipstick is Ruby Woo. What's yours?

MAC Girl About Town

MAC Pink Noveau

PINK (I have 2 favorites!)

It's the color of romance. You're probably heading out on a date with someone you really like or you're just in love. You want to feel flirty but don't want to appear like you're trying to hard. You need to play pretty & safe. Girl About Town if you're feeling playful, Pink Noveau for something photogenically discreet.

MAC Hug Me

NUDE

Feeling laid back. This is actually the true lip color of a confident woman. You don't need bold or striking colors to feel beautiful. You love yourself just the way you are. You don't want to look pale so you get the best "My Lips But Better" color to match with your eyes.

MAC Violetta

PURPLE 

You're feeling a little bit rebellious. You feel empowered and nothing will stand in your way. Not even by wearing a purple lip color.

MAC Morange

ORANGE

You're probably heading out on a coffee date with your girl friends. You want something bright to cheer you up with your boy-troubles.

Watsons Bath to Basics Spa Party! (Plus something for you!)

How many times to you bathe in a day? I'm sure most of you kikay pinays have bathing habits that you gals take a bath more than once! Our weather is to blame, it's too hot and it feels so nice to tuck in your covers with a clean dirt-free hair and body. Besides putting makeup, taking a bath is another of my favorite ritual. It just gives me the time to relax, clean, and think. 

Last July 10, 2014 yours truly, kikaysikat, was invited to a special spa party by Watsons Philippines together with other lifestyle bloggers in the Philippines. It was truly a memorable event! 

THE TALK

The first part was were their special speaker, Ms. Olen Lim, discussed how important it was to have proper grooming habits being a girl. She gave us tips, and also unforgettable do's and don'ts like;

 "Don't go out with wet hair!" "Don't sleep with makeup on!" "Moisturize moisturize moisturize!"

We also had an open forum where we shared different bath myths. I shared mine with "Don't shampoo everyday" I'm glad the other bloggers agreed. Shampooing our hair on a daily basis will leave it dry. If it's not so dirty, we can do this every other day. Conditioning our hair however, is a different factor. 

The lovely Olen Lim

 We're listening attentively as Ms. Olen discusses the different do's and don'ts, how to look and feel great and how it helps to love your body.  We also learned that Watson's Philippines launched this specific Bath to Basics campaign to educate people about their bath habits to achieve better health and skin. 

Trying to be wacky!

Bloggers with Ms. Olen Lim. She's so pretty! <3

THE SCRUB

Ohhhh the next part of the Spa Party was exciting! We were treated to an hour of body scrub courtesy of Ki Neo Day Spa at BGC. It was my first time to have a body scrub. Well, I do scrub myself using my favorite A Bonne milk scrub but this was my first time that someone else will scrub for me. O_O

I was paired up with Camie Juan of Wild-Spirit.net, I'm glad I paired up with her. She's very friendly and easy to be with. Wala syang arte! :)

With Camie Juan of Wild-Spirit.Net

Guess which one I chose?

 Guess which scrub I chose? Whitening of course! It smells fruity and refreshing. It was hot that day so it was perfect.

Our beds, covered in plastic as not to put scrub particles on it.

 If you can imagine someone scrubbing fine sand on you on the beach, that's how it feels. Mixed with a bit of massage, for one whole hour. Ah.. I would like to do that again. We were asked to take a shower using Watson's signature cream body wash and my skin never felt this clean since ages! Clean and soft.

Getting ready for the scrub!

THE SHOPPING

 Next part of the Spa Party was the other best part. Shopping!!!! The catch? We had 15 minutes to do it, and whoever gets the most Watson's labeled items in 1,000php wins another spa session at Ki Neo Day Spa!

If you frequently drop by Watson's you'd know that they always have those Buy 1 Take 1 promo, so I maximized that and got myself the Shower Cream (tried it at the spa, loved it, so I wanted one for myself!), Hair treatments, stretchmark cream, and foot scrub. I didn't expect to win so I also got A Bonne Milk scrub, and a couple of whitening soaps.

Camie taking her time to choose!

Finished with mine! Boy was it heavy!

Happy Watson's Ladies

Some of my loot. You get the 1 hair treatment tub you see here.

YOUR FREEBIES!

Kikay ladies! Watson's is giving away a FREE 750ml Limited Edition Hand Soap If you buy any of the participating bath products worth 500. But wait, there's more! If you are an SM Advantage Card Member, just present your card to avail the free hand soap for only P400 of any of the participating bath products.

I'm also giving away 1 whole tub of the Watson's Hair Treatment Wax for the 1 lucky kikaysikat reader for FREE. 

How? Just follow +WatsonsPH  and +KikaySiKat  at twitter/instagram (@watsonsph, @kikaysikat)

and leave a comment with your name and instagram/twitter account below. 

Winner will be announced end of July together with the July Commenter of the month. 

Bath to Basic Activation Booths Schedule

• SM Fairview (July 17-22)
• Festival Mall (July 24-29)
• SM North Edsa (July 31-August 6)
• SM Manila (August 14-19)

Heroine Make BDJ Box Elite UNBOXING! (Glam Light)

Read on for PHOTO and REVIEW overload! 

I really scheduled today, July 18th 2014 to be my unboxing day for BDJ Box Elite Heroine Make Exclusive Box.  I took the photos last week and done with all the cropping and testing out the makeup, but this morning, I was hesitating to post the unboxing because I wasn't in the mood. How come? The box items was in the office and our team is doing a floor move. Since I'm a very cluttered person (disorganized, yes like a man) I lost all the makeup a midst the pile of things surrounding my work station. I even lost my mobile charger! -_-;

If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign? - Albert Einstein

Enough with the excuses. I know, I'm to blame for having a messy workstation. I do try to organize things once in a while but sometimes, things pile up! Anyway to cut the story short. I did a bit of "tidying up" on my workstation. (which I'm forced to do so since we're moving floors by the end of the day) and lo behold! I found my Heroine Make Cosmetics. HOORAY!

We had the option to choose between 6 elite boxes. 3 boxes for morena and 3 for mestizas, ranging from light, glam, to fierce. It took a loooooooong time for me to decide which box to choose. I even searched for individual reviews to get the BEST box for me in terms of quality and value (the morena/mestiza shades aren't too far off any way) and I chose the Glam Light Box. 

Retail Price: 1480php

YOU GET ALL OF THESE! IN FULL SIZES! *counts* 8 Items!!!! *does a bit of math*  185php per item. You know how much a Heroine Make mascara costs? Around 795php individually. This box is definitely a bang for your buck. I tried all items in a day since I was very excited and took individual photos of each. Click each photo for a bigger size

Heroine Make BB Loose Powder - 695php

The seal is intact for this one and I'm thinking if I'm going to put it on my August giveaway. I am not too fond of loose powders. I got the box for the eye makeup!

Heroine Make Impact Liquid Eyeliner - 595php

You know how some people don't like using liquid liners because they leave a glossy finish? This one works like a charm. It has a matte finish and lasts and lasts. I'm sure it does. I remember I went through the rain wearing this on and it didn't budge.

Heroine Make Impact Frame and Curl Mascara - 695php

I haven't opened this yet because I'm still using my Majolica Majorca mascara that I'm loving. But I'm keeping this one. I remember purchasing a fake heroine make mascara from ebay and I hated it. Of course, I got a fake one! I got duped!

Heroine Make Protect UV BB Cream - 595php

I opened this one and actually using it on a daily basis to look polished. It keeps my face matte and fresh, but I wound't use this going out because of it's high SPF that's sure to make my face look ghostly white in photos

Heroine Make Impact Eyelash 08- 345php

I never really got the hang of putting false eyelashes.... until now! I've recently discovered a super easy trick to put on false eyelashes and I'm going gaga over them like crazy! I'm going to share with you this technique pretty soon! The Heroine Make 08 lashes look dolly and fluttery. 

Heroine Make Eyelash Fixer - 345php

I must say this is my favorite product out of the bunch. I went to Suesh to get some Duo Eyelash glue but they were out of stock, I really didn't trust this at first but since I had no choice I had to use it. It was amazing! It dried on clear, made the lashes stay put until I took it off. 

Sunkiller Perfect Strong Plus - 445php

Japanese sunblocks are good sunblocks. I reviewed them in the past and I mentioned how light and milky it is on the skin. You can even use it as a daily base. I haven't opened this one yet because I'm appreciating Belo's Spray on Sunblock.

Heroine Make Quick Eyebrow - 345php

I still have a lot of eyebrow makeup opened so I'm keeping this one for future use. It's a retractable brow pencil that needs no sharpening. Brows make an impact on how you look so if you don't have an eyebrow makeup yet this is nice to have.

A Simple FOTD!

Oh and here's a shot of me with all the clutter around while trying out the makeup I got from the Heroine Make BDJ Box Elite! I'd definitely love to own an elite box again! <3 I can't wait for BDJ to announce the next one!!!

KikaysiKat Rating 5/5 stars