Holy Week Hiatus

Lenten season is here.. In our country it is a custom to give respect to the "Holy Week" since this is the week where Jesus Christ sacrificed himself to save us from our sins.

WhenChicHitsThePan will be offline starting tomorrow until Easter Sunday.

Cheers :)

For My Dearest Readers: Boxes, Do you keep em?

When purchasing our cosmetic and beauty products, most of them are packaged in cute boxes or containers. I, for one thinks they are a waste of space as clutter and throw em right away. But in fact, cosmetic boxes actually add more value to our makeup when people plan to resell them. Buyers would like to get something that still has the box intact and feels "new".

So I'm wondering if my readers keep their beauty boxes and why, or throw em right away just like I do?

So.. do you keep your boxes? Why? :)

Tips & Tricks: Bobbi Brown Foundation Formula Guide

After being inspired by my co-blogger Catalina's Bobbi Brown Foundations Review I searched high and low for a guide since it's rare that I go to a makeup counter to check the products myself (but it's the best way to find what is best for you really :) )

Taken from Bobbi Brown's official website, here is a complete guide on foundation depending on your skin type. Just click the image to enlarge.

Review + Swatch: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer Tinted Moisturizer

*Whew* Another looooooooong product name, why cant they just call it, Neutrogena Tinted Moisturizer? :p
This is a product almost loved. Well, almost. My shade is light-neutral.

What I Like

• SPF 20
• Retinol
• Oil Free
• (well everything that the container says)
• It comes in a very hygienic pump. Oh how I wish all bb creams come in pump like these.

What I don’t Like

• It's very difficult to blend considering its a moisturizer, or maybe I was just used to BB creams? But nah.. other tinted moisturizers arent this hard to blend
• You have to remove the solid part after a pump
• No coverage at all. 

Who will I recommend this to?
It's summer! It's a no-fuss way to make you look fresh without having that heavy icky foundation feeling on your face. For those who have good skin already, since this doesnt have coverage at all.

Will I repurchase?
Nope. 

One pump releases this amount, enough for the whole face & neck

bare faced

see? minimal coverage!

Japanese Airy Curl Tutorial #2 : Using Velcro Rollers

Thanks to Raysa.com, I translated the tutorial via google translate, and took clean screenshots for your viewing pleasure! I've always been wondering how they get those texturized curls! This is Part 2 out of a 3-Part Series in Japanese Airy Curls. Click images to enlarge to full readable size.

Tutorial: Yakult & Mung Bean Mask

Most of my readers requested a step by step tutorial with measurements and pictures on how to make the "Yakult Mask". Here you go *wink*.

For more information on the wonderful effects of the Yakult Mask

Click HERE

Ingredients:

• Yakult (or any lactobacillus drink)
• Mung Bean Powder (I used Mung Bean Mask from Kuan Yuan bought from sasa.com)

Process:

Use around a tablespoon of mung bean starch

Mix everything into a paste and apply on your face just like a mask.

Wait until it is dry, just like this, like a thin film is on your face O_O

Rinse off with water, and water only! :)

Instant Effect: Skin brightening, acne drying

Long Term Effect:: Pore size appearance reduced, redness minimizing, acne gone! :) Glowy skin!

Hope this helps! Thank you so much!

Japanese Airy Curl Tutorial #1 : Using Round Hair Brush

Thanks to Raysa.com, I translated the tutorial via google translate, and took clean screenshots for your viewing pleasure! I've always been wondering how they get those texturized curls! This is Part 1 out of a 3-Part Series in Japanese Airy Curls.

Click images to enlarge :)

Mood Lipgloss?! Mood Rings are Now Things of the Past

This info was shared to me by a friend. Imagine a lipgloss that changes color depending on your mood. If you're bored, happy, fun, or feeling romantic. 

Here's the info from Too Faced Cosmetics:

Are you in love jealous, angry, happy or hot and bothered? Your lips will tell the tale and allow you to express yourself like never before, Mood Swing's secret blend of essential oils and extracts improves elasticity and rejuvenates lips while natural sunscreens insure a younger looking smile.

Too be honest, I think the gloss just reacts to temperature, and it kinda makes sense that our temperature also depends on our mood sometimes. Me thinks this can also be used to check if you're sick with flu or fever! Haha!

So.. what do you guys think of this product? Havent tried this, and wont even dare to waste cash on this one.

Here's a good review on the product:

http://beauty-product-junkies.bellasugar.com/Review-Too-Faced-Mood-Swing-Lip-Gloss-1085737

http://www.toofaced.com/product_template.asp?dept_sub_id=2&dept_id=1&cat_id=10&tab_id=001

Tips & Tricks: Stretchmark Prevention

The image, you are about to see below is very scary..

Stretchmarks.

Nasty.

Nasty.

Stretchmarks.

Now it has been said that once you get stretchmarks, it would be very difficult to remove them. It would take a lot of peels, dermatology sessions, surgery and more. No miracle cream can remove the unslightly damage.
However, we also know that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. So it's better that we take care of our skin before it's too late.

Stretchmarks are usually caused by stretching of the skin rapidly and without proper moisturization. Others say if your family has stretchmarks, you too can have them. Pregnancy is also the leading cause of stretchmarks in women, other than rapid gaining or losing of weight.

I'm currently almost my due date and thankfully, no stretchmarks have appeared.. yet. But I am doing this trick that I heard from my grandparents from provinces that they said it really helped them a LOT. Better than over the counter creams and lotions.

The miracle? It's virgin coconut oil.If you check out my post here, I raved about VCO as a cheap makeup remover. But do you also know that this miracle oil can be used to prevent stretchmarks.

VCO is easily absorbed by the skin and gives a protective barrier against itchiness and dryness. The more we scratch our bellies, the more marks it would cause. BUT! If you really really want to scratch, just slather some VCO on the part you want to scratch, and scratch away.

So for those soon to be mommies out there, go ahead, try it for yourselves. It's a lot cheaper than *ehem*palmers*ehem* and it works too!

Review + Pictures: Great Lash is Really Great!

Whew! I finally get to try this infamous mascara from Maybelline. I believe this was one of the first mascaras they released when they started the brand and gained popularity because some people thought it was great, but majority thought it plained sucked.

I was intrigued and want to see for myself if this mascara was as bad as people claimed it to be, so I had very low expectations. But to my surprise, it actually worked well! Better than my Colossal Mascara (emptied! yey!) and can be used as my mascara for normal daily usage.

The wand looks like a regular wand, quite smaller than some brushes I have used before. The texture of the mascara is very liquidy, no complicated fibers. I got this in blackest black and it is indeed one of the most black mascaras I've used. Since it is liquidy, it took me a bit to get used to applying this since the first time I tried, it was a mess! Haha..

Left eye with Maybelline Great Lash, did not use any eyelash curler.

Pardon moi for the messy brows and the nose pimple *sob*. I was surprised that it kinda lifted up my lashes even without the use of curler, lengthened, and also did give a bit of volume. Wow.

*Tip: Do not wait between application to coat. Apply when still wet, just load it on, layer it when wet and it will not clump. 

 What I Like

• Cheap. Only cost me around 100 pesos (2 dollars) on ebay
• Washable. 
• Volumized, lengthened, curled. 

What I don’t Like

• Tricky to apply
• Smudged a bit after a few hours. Yes it smudges. But I dont mind :) Nothing a little qtip cant fix.

Who will I recommend this to?
Gals who want a no-frill mascara to use everyday. Those who dont want to have the chore of removing waterproof mascara every night and have their lashes flake off.

Revisit: Revlon Colorstay with SoftFlex

This would have been my holy grail of foundations is it hasnt broken me out  and it took months before the breakouts healed completely. It's quite traumatizing actually. I know it's not because of not properly cleansing because when I used this product, I made sure everything is completely gone, with steps from cleansing oils, microfiber towels, and then another wash, and then check for residue using toners.

I'm tempted to try another foundation by Revlon, but I'm hesitating, since Im scared of having acne again. Thank God that I didnt get nasty scars from the breakout, but the red pigmentation is still there, though flat.

Have you tried Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation? How about Revlon's Photoready?

Cosmetics Shelf-Life: How Long Should We Keep Our Makeup?

Argh! I'm guilty of this! Very very much guilty! That if I really really like this makeup of mine, its so hard to throw away! Even if its "expired". Mascaras for example, Their shelf life usually is 3 months, but even after 6 months and it is still okay, I still use it!

Maybe this will serve as our guide on how long we should keep our cosmetics, but of course sometimes we disobey *wink wink*

According to the article from http://www.ivillage.co.uk/beauty/makeup/tips/articles/0,,548145_183872-1,00.html

Oil-Free Foundation: 1 year

Cream or Compact Foundation: 18 months

Concealer: 12-18 months

Powder: 2 years

Blush and Bronzer: 2 years

Cream Blush: 12-18 months

Powder Eye shadow: 2 years

Cream Eye shadow: 12-18 months

Eyeliner: 2 years

Liquid eyeliner: 3-6 months

Mascara: 3 months

Lipstick: 2 years

Lip liner: 2 years

Lip gloss: 18-24 months

Nail Color: According to digitaltraincase.blogspot.com, FOREVER! :)

We should consider our BB creams as liquid foundation so we should throw it away after a year. I remember I had stored my skinfood gingko green bb cream for more than a year, and I was about to try to use it again and *poof* it smells all funky! Down the bin it goes!

Ulzzang Pony #8 : Brown Smokey Eye

Credits to Soompi forums for the images, Ulzzang Pony was a makeup tutorial site by a lovely korean girl, whose site has been closed down and thanks to soompiers, took screenshots of her makeup. I am not taking credit for these images, rather sharing it to more people as possible

Giveaways: YGN Nail Package Giveaway!!!!

This lovely giveaway care of you've got nail includes the following

* 1 x Nailtrixx Design Plate
* 1 x Bottle Royal Polish (which is just awesome)
* 1 x Top Coat (no more smudges!)
* 1 x Scraper
* 1 x Stamper
* 1 x Ulta3 Spring Blossom Lacquer. 

HERE!!!

http://youvegotnail.blogspot.com/2010/03/march-giveaway.html

Review + Swatches: Majolica Majorca Trick-On PK740

It's been almost a year since I had this palette and it doesnt get the review it deserves. Among my eyeshadows, this is the most used, and most abused. During travel trips; I bring this one. During "I-dont-know-what-to-wear" days; I wear this one. The cream colored eyeshadow, I use most for highlighting brows, nose, chin and cheeks.

Majolica Majorca is a drugstore brand of Shiseido. Theyre eyeshadows are nicely textured, pigmented, and has this lovely buttery feel upon application. Not only do they make great eyeshadows, but they also have the best fool-proof smudge-proof, water-proof, wear-for-one-week mascaras, and great blushes. Let's head on to the review shall we?

The palette is composed of 4 different shades and texture.
1. Cream - It's the lightest shade, and the least pigmented. It makes an excellent base for the other shadows and multi purpose as a highlighter as well.
2. Pink - The medium toned, more opaque and pigmented but still sheer, it gives of a nice flattering pink without making you look sick
3. Blue Trick-On - It looks plain baby blue on the pan, but upon application gives a very pearlescent multicolored finish great for highlighting the undereyes and also lining the tearduct area.
4. Dark Brown - The most pigmented of all the shades, the texture is still soft and easy to blend. Nice for lining the lash lines.

 What I Like

• Great color payoff
• Buttery smooth texture
• Nice colors
• Compact!
• Long lasting even without a primer

What I don’t Like

• The blue trick-on shade is not that wearable on a daily basis as its shockingly pearlescent like ultraviolet rays O_O

Who will I recommend this to?
I'm a bit of an eyeshadow scrimper so I only own 1 of these palettes since I find them quite pricey, but very worth it! I recommend this palette to those who want to invest in a good but usesable eyeshadow they can take anywhere

For those who are looking for better swatches, and even complete swatches of the trick-on palette, visit lipglosseater's page on the trick on here http://www.lipglosseater.com/2009/07/majolica-majorca-majolook-trick-on.html

Non-Makeup: Pacquiao vs Clottey Streaming

Watch the Pacquiao fight LIVE! Here!

http://www.rnhalawi.com/2010/03/manny-pacquiao-vs-joshua-clottey-live.html

DIY: Make your Own Lip Plumping Gloss

Now some people want to have thin lips, some people want to have thick lips. But I really find it attractive when a person has this naturally plump kissable lips. Think Angelina Jolie.

So I did a little bit of researching and here's a nice recipe I've found over at

http://cosmetics.suite101.com/

Ingredients:

• Small jar with lid
• Vaseline
• Bee’s wax or Chapstick
• Ground Ginger
• Ground Cayenne or Red Pepper
• Peppermint Extract

Take about a teaspoon of Vaseline and mix it with half a teaspoon of bee’s wax (or use two tubes of Chapstick). Start with small amounts and mix the ginger and cayenne. These products will cause a stinging sensation but really helps with the plumping affect. Add one to two drops of the Peppermint Extract. The peppermint gives the gloss a cool and fresh flavor. But don’t use too much!

Review: Maybelline Colossal Mascara

Looking for a cheap daily alternative, I resorted to purchase Maybelline Colossal Mascara since  Im looking for a decent washable mascara that can give me the volume I want everyday. I cannot bare to use my Imju Fiberwig or my other Japanese branded mascara since it really takes an effort to apply and remove everyday. I'm always in a hurry when going to work and got no time to do all the prepping.

Sad to say I'm very disappointed with this mascara. It's all flakey, smudgy, and spidery at the end of the day. It also doesnt  hold a curl that well that I had to wait for the mascara to dry and then curl my lashes again (which takes a lot of time!)

I shouldnt have let go of my Maybelline Volume Express Hypercurl/Cat's Eye even when they were about to expire. Or I should have purchase extra tubes of them instead (but hey! both of them are waterproof and a hassle to remove as well)

So my search is still not over for that perfect daily mascara. My requirements? Washable, holds curl, give ample length and volume, smudgeproof, will not give a spidery leg effect *shivers*.
Maybe you can suggest a mascara for me to try? :)

Please note that whatever did not work for me may work for you, and vice-versa. This is just my opinion so feel free to try this product also *wink* just as I'm very much curious with Maybelline's Great Lash (which has lots of RANTS by the way hehe)
I just ordered Maybelline Great Lash Mascara to try (with all the rantings and raves I just had to see for myself)

Spend vs. Save: Drugstore Dupes

Wow, it's been a while since I did a Spend vs. Save post! Probably because all I bought was for "save save save". I tried to do some research on the internet on nifty drugstore dupes that can replace most department store or high end brands.

I find it really odd that here in the Philippines, we consider the US Drugstore brands as our Department Store brands *rolls on the floor laughing* (examples: L'oreal, Revlon, Covergirl, Maybelline).

Maybe this selection would do a bit of help, now some products may not be available directly at malls, but can easily be bought at ebay!

Brand Dupes
Lancome products = L’oreal products
Chanel products = Bourjois products
MAC eyeshadows = Milani eyeshadows
MAC pigments = NYX Loose pigments
Stila eyeshadows = Prestige eyeshadows
Shu Eumura Blushes = Majolica Majorca Blushes
NARS Blushes = Ever Bilena Blushes
Shu Eumura Eyelash Curler = Fanny Serrano Eyelash Curler


Powders/Foundations/Concealers
MAC Studio Finish Concealer  = VOV Cover Foundation, TheBalm TimeBalm
MAC Blot = Pigeon Pressed Powder




Blush
NARS Orgasm blush = Milani Luminous, Cover Girl Rose Silk Cheeker, Mark Afterglo, L’oreal Front Page Peach
NARS Sin blush = Milani Temptation
NARS Deep Throat = Rimmel Apricot Blush
NARS Antibes Multiple = Wet ‘n Wild #721 Scandalous
NARS Copacabana Multiple = Wet ‘n Wild #724 Flirt
NARS Maldives Multiple = Wet ‘n Wild Just Peachy
NARS Portofino Multiple = Wet ‘n Wild #722 Coy
NARS South Beach Multiple = Wet ‘n Wild Brazen Babe

Eyeshadows
MAC Dark Soul pigment = Jane Clubbing
MAC Gorgeous Gold = Prestige Glitz C-157
MAC Juxt = Jane Rain Forest
MAC Lucky Green = Wet n’ Wild Marquis
MAC Naked Lunch = Wet n’ Wild Fine Wink
MAC Paradisco = Flirt! Feeling Hot
MAC Trax = Flirt! Glamourazzi
MAC Amber Lights = Milani Sun Goddess
MAC Black Tied = Jane Clubbing = Milani Storm
MAC Coppering = Milani Flare
MAC Dementhe, Steamy, Humid = Milani Clover
MAC Electric Eel = Milani Atlantis
MAC Guacamole = Milani Limbo Lime
MAC Jest = Milani Peachy Peach
MAC Little Madame = Milani Illusion
MAC Mulch, Sable = Milani Java Bean
MAC Parfait Amour = Milani Enchantment
MAC Perverted Pearl = Milani Silver Bullet
MAC Pink Freeze = Milani Taffy
MAC Satin Taupe = Rimmel All Over Pencil in Strength
MAC Shale = Milani Icy Plum
MAC Shroom = Jordana in Beige eyeshadow
MAC Silver Pigment = Milani Mercury
MAC Sketch = Milani Marooned
MAC Sumptuous Olive = Milani Antiqued Gold
MAC Vanilla = Milani Snow Frost
MAC Vellum = Milani Moonlight
MAC Woodwinked = Milani Golden Bronze
Shu Uemura ME 945 = Caboodles Smooth
Shu Uemura P Brown 76 = Flirt! Oh Please!
Stila Barefoot Contessa = Prestige Spark
Stila GoLightly = Jane Magical Mushroom(discontinued), Milani Golden Bronze
Stila Grace = Ulta Plum Smoke
Stila Jade = Sally Girl China Doll (discontinued)
Stila Kitten = Wet ‘n Wild Fine Wink, Cover Girl Champagne, Sally Girl Silver Lining
Stila Sun = Prestige Champagne
Stila Twig = Milani Spice
Urban Decay Acid Rain = Prestige Wasabi
Urban Decay Asphyxia = Milani Enchantment
Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy = Milani Sheer Sand
Urban Decay Mildew = Prestige Iguana
Urban Decay X = Ulta Sunlight

Lipsticks/Lipglosses
Chanel Blizzard Glossimer = Wet ‘n Wild Bronzeberry Gloss
Chanel Giggle Glossimer = Neutrogena Chic gloss
Chanel Twinkle Glossimer = Prestige Alloy Vinylwear
Chanel Nude Liner = Max Factor Liner in Nude, Wet ‘n Wild #666
Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick = Maybelline Drippin Honey Wet Shine Lipstick
Lancome Simmer Juicy Tube= L’oreal Strawberry Smoothie Color Juice, L’oreal Butterscotch Drop Color Juice
MAC Dainty Cake Lipstick = NYC Firefly #306b
MAC High Tea Lipstick = Rimmel Airy Fairy, Milani Sheer Lipstick in Amaterro
MAC Lovechild Lipglass = Rimmel Snog Lipgloss
MAC Love Nectar Lusterglass = Milani Coral Shimmer Lipgloss
MAC Lust Lipglass = L’oreal Color Juice in Passionfruit Squeeze
MAC Oh Baby Lipglass = Milani Serendipity Gloss
MAC Prrr Lipglass = L’oreal Color Juice in Mai Tai
MAC Plum Liner = Revlon Colorstay Plum liner
MAC Sequin Lipstick = Almay Sequin One Coat Lipstick
MAC Spice Liner = Wet ‘n Wild #666 or #712 Liner
NARS Orgasm Lipgloss = NYC Sungold Lipgloss, Mary Kate and Ashley Truly Lipgloss
NARS Pillow Talk Lipgloss = Rimmel Vinyl Lip Star in Be A Star
NARS Turkish Delight Lipgloss = Neutrogena Moisture Shine in Groove
Scott Barnes Flossy Glossy in Meow = Neutrogena Groove Moisture Shine
Stila Apricot Lipglaze = Prestige Fuzzy Navel Jet Stream Gloss
Stila Jane Lipstick = Rimmel Birthday Suit Lipstick

Brushes
MAC #187 Stippling Brush = Adorned with Grace Duo Fiber Brush, Ellana Stippling Brush


Feel free to post your spend vs save product below ;)

Review: Best Beach Sunblock - Ocean Potion Anti Aging SPF 50

*whew* That was long. But this has to be the BEST sunblock I've tried for the beach.

Our friends and I love going out swimming to almost anywhere in the Philippines and having a sensitive skin and I'm so afraid of getting sunburnt (hey it hurts!) and unwanted tanning, I make sure I have loads of sunblock with me. When I was a kid, my mom always uses Banana Boat Sunblocks, but it made me feel all sticky and icky.

The variant I use is the Anti-Aging, Waterproof, Sweat Resistant SPF 50 sunblock from Ocean Potion.









This is their description from their website:

Specially formulated for fair skin, Ocean Potion® Broad Spectrum, Anti-Aging Lotion SPF 50 provides higher sun protection against UVA I, II and UVB sunrays.

This clean, dry formula glides on easily for quick absorption, while enlisting Seaplant extracts and Anti-Oxidant Vitamins A, C, and E that aid in the reduction of cell damaging free radicals for younger looking skin.

Solaplex enhances the stability of Parsol® 1789 (Avobenzone) which makes Ocean Potion sunscreens more reliable and longer lasting.

 What I Like

• Great protection! Did not give me sunburn or unwanted tanning when I went beach swimming for 3 days.
• Smells like rasperry cupcakes with vanilla icing on top
• Compared to other waterproof sunblocks, this indeed was less sticky and less heavy
• Had to reapply when I get wet
• Sturdy tube
• Very affordable, around 750php for a big tube.
• Did not break me out, even when I forget to wash my face properly after a tiring day at the beach.
• Stable sunscreens. For more info on how to determine stability of sunscreens, go to the blog of wonderfulwortelworld

What I don’t Like

• Nothing!!!!! I would re-purchase this every single time!!!!

Who will I recommend this to?
To those who plan to go out and have fun  in the sun!

A Good BB Cream Review + Comparisons

I've been searching and searching for reviews about Dr. Jart Silver BB Cream and most do not have swatches or the effects is not really visible. Then I stumbled upon a xanga blog by mymakeuplover complete with swatches, and oil control test using blotting paper. Wow! Dr. Jart Silver won by a mile so I guess this BB cream would be really suitable for oily skinned gals.

Review: Kanebo Freshel White C Cleansing Oil

Hi folks! This has been long overdue since my bottle of this is empty and threw it away after a year of usage. Wootwoo! I hit another pan! This is my very first bottle of cleansing oil tried, and was my to-go tool when removing really stubborn makeup before.

But I have to admit that the reason why I finished the bottle up is because I used 50% for body cleansing. I accidentally spilled hair color on my shoulders, back, and basically my whole body which I'm afraid will stain my skin for days! (And it was also the time we were heading out to the beach)

So I used this cleansing oil to remove the henna stain all over my body and it worked quite well!

Now onto the review




What I Like

• It's one of the cheaper cleansing oils easily available in department stores like SM. 750php (15$) per 250ml bottle.
• It can remove stubborn mascara and makeup easily
• Fragrance free!

What I don’t Like

• Does not emulsify enough, I have to double wash to remove the oil film left
• Has mineral oil as its first component, a big no no for me.

Who will I recommend this to?
To those starting out and want to try out an effective cleansing oil without breaking their bank budget.


Will I buy again?
Nope. I found better cleansing milks/oils. 

Ingredients:

• Mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum)  - A clear, odorless oil derived from petroleum that is widely used in cosmetics because it is inexpensive and rarely causes allergic reactions. It can, however, induce acne lesions.
• Ethylhexyl palmitate - Skin conditioning agent, emollient. Ethylparaben Preservative.
• Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate -  is an organic compound used in skin care products to aid in stabilizing oil-in-water mixtures. It is also a skin conditioning agent that acts as a lubricant on the skin surface, which gives the skin a soft and smooth appearance
•  Diglyceryl sebacate/ isopalmitate
• Water (aqua) - H20 
• Squalane - A topical emollient that is spreadable and soothing to the skin and is used in skincare products. Made from shark-liver oil but also found in small quantities in human sebum.
• Olea Europaea (olive) fruit oil - Olive oil
• Citrus unshiu peel extract - Citrus peel
• Perilla ocymoides leaf extract
• Tocopherol - Vitamin E 

Azure Dreams : The Gamer in Me

Now besides being a makeup aficionado, I am also a gamer in heart. I began enjoying computer games ever since I was 6 years old and discovered the joys of SNES, Family Computer, Gameboy, Playsation, and onwards.. Now for more than 15 years of gaming, I want to introduce, or perhaps reintroduce to you, my favorite game of all time.

It is Playstation 1's Azure Dreams.

It is a rogue-type RPG *role playing game* that involves a lot of things.

• Collect Monsters
• Battle up to the top of the tower
• Good storyline
• Build your town! (just like sim)
• Get a lovelife (a lot of girls to choose from)
• Develop your weapons and armor
• Get rich

I am not a fan of your typical role playing games like Final Fantasy (but I find the Suikoden Series better). For me, better game play is better than useless graphics. I dont need to be impressed by CGs if the game play sucks.

Even after more than 10 years, playing this game brings a lot of memories and enjoyment, and it is still LOADS OF FUN to play! 

You can try it with an emulator + rom via torrent downloads. Or if you still have your PS1, go ahead, pop that CD in.. 

For those who need a bit of help, here's the link to the BEST walkthrough for Azure Dreams. Yes it's more than 10 years old, but it is still the best.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/psx/file/196675/4441

Summer is Here! Biore UV Bright Face Milk Sunscreen

Update: 09/07/2011
This broke me out.. This definitely broke me out, this is the cause of my acne. I even blamed it to all sortsa stuff.  I used this last Thursday because I lost my Belo sunblock, and the following day, lo-behold, 2 huge cystic acne.

Apologies I also included the picture of my favorite comb, the Hair Doctor Rotating Tooth Comb!
Guys and gals! The summer sunshine is here and we need strong daily protection against harmful UV rays that causes skin pigmentation and aging!

I have to admit that I was reluctant to use sunscreens before because I tried a lot of brands that just made my face feel hotter and stickier.

Who wants to feel that way when it's already hot?

After reading rave reviews from other bloggers and also in makeupalley.com, I gave in a bought a bottle of Biore UV Bright Face Milk. Now a lot have used the other variant, the Biore UV Perfect Face Milk, but I felt that my skin always lacked radiance so I wanted something to make it "bright".
I bought this for 550php (around 10$) from one of my favorite sellers in multiply, Gayle from wehaveit43.multiply.com. She also sells a lot of products from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan for a bargain price!

What I Like

• It feels so light. Doesnt feel like I'm wearing sunscreen at all 
• Cheap!!! A little goes a long way. I even put this on my arms 
• Good makeup base, it has great oil control, can you believe a sunscreen that acts as an oil controller? It's probably because of the cones content (silicones) 
• It does brighten skin, but it doesnt make me look ghastly white 
• The bottle is pretty pink! Hihi, small and compact. 

What I don’t Like

• I'm not fond of shaking. Hehe, this needs to be shaken so that the oil+water will mix nicely 
• I want to have a sunscreen that will acts as a moisturizer as well (will try mentholatum aqua milk soon!) 

Who will I recommend this to?
Everyone! Trust me, this doesnt look pink at all!

Ingredients:

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Water, Zinc Oxide, Glycerin, Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Talc, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, PEG-32, Polysilicone-9, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Methicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide, PEG-3 Dimethicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, Lauryl Methacrylate/Sodium Methacrylate Crossplymer, Silica, Polianthes Tuberosa Polysaccharide.

Best and Worst Neutrogena Products

courtesy of totalbeauty.com

I have been a fan of Neutrogena products since I was in highschool, especially their face products like facial wash and tinted moisturizers. My current fave is their Deep Clean Facial Wash and Healthy Skin Enhancer.

Total Beauty gathered their best and worst products according to their users

Click HERE for more.. 

For My Dearest Readers: Cosmetic Back-ups. Do you hoard or do you scrimp?

Recently, I have found several products that I consider my Holy Grails. For example, the Biore UV Bright Face Milk, and the Neutrogena Skin Enhancer Tinted Moisturizer. (reviews soon) and some other products as well.

These are not readily available in the Philippine market and has to be bought through pre-orders. A bottle of those products can last up to 6 months or more which I guess the right amount of time to purchase before it runs out. But Im thinking about getting 2-3 backups for safe keeping so that if ever I run out, I dont have to go crazy looking for a substitute.

For my dearest readers: Do you store backups? Why? What is the reason? If yes how much do you hoard?

Rice Water Toner

I got this idea from Michelle Phan at youtube and decided to give it a shot. I just do not know when the expiration date is so I throw away the liquid and replace it with a new mixture every 2 days. I also store it in the fridge.

Based from her youtube video, rice has essential vitamins and minerals that can benefit the skin. My grandma also used to  use rice steam to make her skin glowy so I guess it should work. But this is tiring to make and I would just prefer buying ready  made toners at the mall. Haha.

But for those who are interested. Here are the steps:

 

Using organic rice (any would do just make sure it is organic and clean!) clean your rice, mix mix mix and you should get a cloudy water out of this. Oops! Dont throw it away! This cloudy water has the one with the nutrients in it!

Transfer this cloudy water in a clean bottle. I use the one with the spray so I can easily spray it on the cotton pad.

 

There you go! Your own rice water toner. Please make sure to store this in a cool place so it doesnt go bad quickly. I dont rinse after using this, I just pat out and dry the excess on my skin to absorb.

Review: Only used this for a week and I didnt see very visible effects. It did not clean or anything but it did not make me break out either. I'm too lazy to always concoct this mixture so I stopped using it anyway. It felt cool and refreshing on the skin, I think it made my skin  less dull