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#YolandaPH

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(image via, credits to Agence France-Presse)

Hello everyone. Just announcing a quick pause in regular posting.

As you may or may not have heard, a typhoon called “Haiyan” (“Yolanda” is its local name here) swept through certain regions of my country, the Philippines. My hometown is considerably far from where Haiyan/Yolanda hit the strongest, which is the Visayas region. Tacloban experienced a storm surge, where the waters rose to about 15 feet, leaving death and destruction in its wake.

Currently, the death toll is in the hundreds (reportedly about a thousand in total, but I can’t confirm) and there are a lot of structural damage in certain parts of the Visayas. Haiyan/Yolanda is on its way out of the Philippine area of responsibility, but we are left with entire cities to take care of and help out.

Please consider making a donation (I’ll leave the info below) or sparing a thought or two for those who have lost a lot. Haiyan/Yolanda has been reported to have slowed down as it exits, but please be vigilant and try to keep safe if you live in a place where it is set to hit. Good thoughts and prayers to you all.

WAYS TO DONATE:
— Red Cross (online)
— Red Cross, via local SMS:

  • Smart – text RED to 4143. Amounts are 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, and 500.
  • Globe – text RED to 2899. Amounts are 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, and 500.

— World Food Programme
— Sagip Kapamilya (through a local broadcasting company)

RELIEF OPERATIONS:
Volunteers needed to help in repacking relief goods at DSWD-NROC (Naia Chapel Road behind Air Transportation Office, Pasay City). To volunteer please call 851-12681.

REMINDERS FOR FOOD DONATIONS:
With food donations, drinking water is first priority. Most hard-hit areas have contaminated water sources, and distilling stations are most probably not operational at the moment. Also, please donate food that’s ready to eat. Ulam in foil packs, Century tuna paella in easy-open cans, bread, crackers and cookies, etc.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Hands On: Hands Only Makeup Look

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Hands Only Makeup - Face 2

Who needs brushes when you have hands?

I was thinking of a “challenge” for myself that I could do and I thought about going tool-less for a full face of makeup, which seems timely since I dropped quite a bit of cash on some brushes recently. I enjoy great tools, but it doesn’t mean that you are essentially powerless if you don’t have high-end brushes or eyelash curlers.

This is a pretty simple look I came up with, applied using only my hands, and I think it looks quite good. 🙂 At the very least, it’s functional for everyday. All hands on deck!

Hands Only Makeup - Face 1

FACE:
— y.e.t. cosmetics Fill it Up Primer (review)
— Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation (review)
— BECCA Beach Tint in Raspberry (review)
— Benefit Watt’s Up! Highlighter (review)

LIPS:
— MAC Lipstick in Twig (review)

Hands Only Makeup - Eyes

EYES:
— K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow 24H in 01
— BECCA Eye Tint in Baroque (review)
— NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Grand Palais (review)
— K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner 24H in Black
— Eye of Horus Natural Mascara* (review)

What do you think? Are you completely dependent on makeup tools or can you make do with your hands?

On another note, I forgot how much I love this foundation~

Items marked with an asterisk (*) are PR samples sent for editorial consideration.

Beauty 911: Cracked Powder

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Beauty 911 - Cracked Powders

Has this ever happened to you? My sister was toting her shu uemura powder compact, despite its brokenness and inconvenience, because she didn’t want to spring for a new one. These things are a bit on the expensive side, and as you can see from the photo, there’s still a substantial amount left in there for her to use.

The compact first cracked when a stranger caught her bag and caused it to slide off the back of her chair. Since then, it’s been on its way to a place beyond repair. I volunteered to try and fix it because it was getting way too messy in her makeup bag.

Beauty 911 - Mush

First, you want to grind the pieces into an actual loose powder instead of just the chunks. I poured the contents in a Ziploc bag and ground the pieces into fine powder. The Ziploc bag is a good idea to keep everything neat and also so that you can clean the compact first.

If you apply foundation with a brush, you can actually just pour it into a spare, clean screw-top pot as a loose powder. My sister uses a sponge for this product, though, so I got to work on the other steps.

Beauty 911 - Spread

Once you’ve poured the contents into the metal pan container, add bits of alcohol into the powder until it becomes a paste. I used 70% Isopropyl Alcohol. Alcohol is used because it evaporates faster than water. I think the point is to get the product dry as quickly as possible so no (less?) bacteria develops. Use a knife to get it as flat as possible and drop it gently on the table a few times to get rid of air pockets.

Beauty 911 - Dry

Let it dry for an hour. I placed a facial tissue over the pan and pressed on it with a flat tool (I used the underside of a kabuki brush) to squeeze out the extra liquid. If you do this step before letting it partially dry, the mixture will just stick to your tissue. When you’ve eliminated the extra liquid, let it dry overnight.

This powder is currently in use! It still works the same, though it’s a bit harder to get the product onto the sponge for some reason. Still, it’s functional and easier to tote around. 🙂

Any beauty emergencies on your mind? Reply to this post or send me an email, and let’s see what I can do to help out. Thanks for reading!

Unboxing: November 2013 BDJ Box*

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Nov BDJ Box

I got a surprise yesterday—the November BDJ Box! It was pretty heavy, so I assumed there was some type of body lotion or shampoo in there, but I was wrong. Turns out, it was a bath cream! Let me show you what is in the BDJ Box this month. 🙂

Nov BDJ Box - The Cream Factory

The Cream Factory Bath Cream, Php 699 (26 fl. oz.) — This is made from real goat’s milk (from the Netherlands!) and 100% active botanical extracts, and they call it “dessert for the skin.” I’m super excited to try this out since I love a good bath cream, and apparently this product is not tested on animals. (No word on the ingredients, though.) My variant is the one with jojoba, and it smells quite fresh!

Nov BDJ Box - Za

ZA Perfect Solution Restoring Collagen Cream, Php 345 (3.5 oz.) — This apparently has “7 trillion collagen capsules,” which is hard for me to believe but OK. It targets wrinkles and overall skin condition with an “Intensive Triangle Technology” that works on three levels—promoting firmness, translucence, and moisture retention. I don’t believe ZA Cosmetics is cruelty-free, but please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

Nov BDJ Box - Argan Oil

Oil of Argan Oil, Php 600 (30ml) — How timely, because I wanted to try some type of Argan Oil out. This is pure Argan Oil (which explains the price for such a small vial, though this is already cheaper than some brands) and can be used for many purposes. I’m not sure if this is cruelty-free.

Nov BDJ Box - Canmake

Canmake Powder Cheeks, Php 390 — so excited to try this! I haven’t tried their powder blushes yet, but I’ve been a big fan of the cream cheeks. 🙂 I believe this shade is PW05. I can’t seem to find information of its cruelty-free status, though, I’ve declared it as such when I made my CF beauty post. I’ll double-check and update this when I find out!

Nov BDJ Box - Revlon

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss, Php 570 (5.9ml) — This is actually one of my favorite lipgloss ranges from the drugstore, at least in terms of pigmentation. I got Rosepearl. Revlon is not cruelty-free.

Nov BDJ Box - Yves Rocher

Yves Rocher Naturelle Eau de Toilette, Php 1495 (50ml)… The sample is 7.5ml — I quite enjoy this sample as it has quite a clean, fresh scent.

Nov BDJ Box - Saforelle

BONUS ITEM: Saforelle Gentle Cleansing Care, Php 159.75 (100ml)… Sample size is 60ml — I don’t know what to say about this! Heh, thanks BDJ, I guess!

And that’s it for this month’s box! I think it was a pretty good combination of products. The theme, by the way, is Blushing Beauty. Do you think the products reflected that? Do share! 🙂

* This box was sent to me by the BDJ Box Team for editorial consideration. You can get your own box on BDJBox.com.

Join the Search for Maybelline’s New 8 BB Top Models!

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Hello everyone!

I came home from my holiday to an interesting box left for me by the Maybelline team. I thought it was just a typical subscription box, but I remembered that I was told there was a “challenge” aspect to it. Naturally, I was intrigued. Upon ripping open the box, I was met with three new base products from Maybelline, as well as a chance for you, yes, you to model for Maybelline New York’s 8-in-1 Clear Smooth BB.

Print

FA_Maybelline BB Cream_Embedded

Curious? Let me show you how!

PR Kit_v3

ABOUT THE COMPETITION
Because MAYBELLINE Clear Smooth 8-in-1 BB gives you perfect skin with its 8 healthy benefits, we’re looking for all aspiring models who believe they have what it takes to be one of 8 MAYBELLINE NEW YORK BB Top Models who will represent Clear Smooth 8-in-1 BB in a photoshoot and win a P100,000 modeling contract with Ideal People Models.

Among the 8 BB Top Models for 2013 are Jessica Yang, Princess Snell, and Bia Corniero. Get a chance to join their ranks! 🙂

PR Kit_v3

HOW TO JOIN
Interested ladies ages 15 and above* can join via the 2014 BB TOP MODELS Application on the MAYBELLINE Philippines Facebook Page from November 4 to November 30, 2013. Candidates should provide the following for participation to be valid:

  • Headshot
  • Body Shot
  • One-sentence statement on why they believe they should be a MAYBELLINE BB Cream Top Model.

*Ages 15-17 are required to submit parental permission to participate.

[PHOTO]

THE BLOGGER CHALLENGE
So this is where the challenge part comes in! I was contacted to participate in this mission (hehe) as a mentor. First, I’m here to share the news about the contest, in case one of you lovely readers of this blog has aspirations to be a model and an inspiration to girls and women like you. Watch this space—I’ll be popping in every now and then to help you out with little tips and an occasional smattering of encouragement.

Now, one of the best parts about this is that we can spread the love. If you notice, the application form has a field where you can enter your “Blogger Mentor,” in this case (hopefully!), me!

Blogger Challenge

(My name and URL doesn’t fit in the box, but you can just pick one or the other!) I know I’m an unusual choice, but I will always do something to help someone reach their dream. 🙂

If you come play for my team, and we win as one of the top three participants with the highest votes, we get the chance to give away 100 8-in-1 BBs to your supporters and readers of Softly Sometimes. Isn’t that great?

The fun doesn’t stop there because, as this is a contest, you stand a chance to win some pretty awesome prizes.

THE COVETED PRIZES

  • 8 winners will be named MAYBELLINE 2014 BB Top Models and be ambassadors for Clear Smooth 8-in-1 BB for a year.
  • The highest scoring model will receive an exclusive 1-year modeling contract worth P100,000 with Ideal People Models, one of the country’s most reputable modeling agencies, while the runner up will receive a P50,000 contract.

HOW TO WIN
Candidates should collect as many votes as possible for a chance to be part of the finals. Each voter is allowed to vote a candidate only once, and can vote for up to 10 candidates.

The top 30 candidates who get the most number of votes will be invited to a casting on December 6, 2013. The jury composed of representatives from MAYBELLINE NEW YORK and Ideal People Models will select the Top 8 winners.

PR Kit_v3

Are you ready to be one of those faces? 🙂

To learn more about the contest, click here.

And, just a heads up: ALL MAYBELLINE BB PRODUCTS ARE AT P50 OFF ALL MONTH OF NOVEMBER! Just in case you want a headstart on some BB goodness.

Good luck! I’m rooting for you!

Disclaimer: This is a PR post, but I do encourage you to join, as I truly think this is a good opportunity, most especially if this has been your dream!

Maybelline is not cruelty-free.

Make Up No-Buy Update: Month 6

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Hello guys! I bought several Hakuhodo brushes this month, so I tried my best to lay off makeup purchases, which was fairly hard to do since I was in the presence of Duty Free, a Sephora, and so many different brands!

Did I succeed?

Click here to find out

Drugstore Finds: Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Coral Crush*

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Maybelline - Coral Crush - Tube

I got this tube of Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick from the October box that the folks at BDJ were kind enough to send me. 🙂 It’s in Coral Crush, which if you have been following my blog for a while, isn’t a shade I would normally pick out for myself. Mostly because it is quite warm and orange-y. That color just doesn’t work for me.

Maybelline - Coral Crush - Swatch

As far as drugstore lipsticks go, though, these ones by Maybelline are part of the “great quality” bunch. In this swatch, marvel at how opaque the coverage is with just two swipes! Coral Crush is a coral that leans warmer and orange-y, which is not something that is flattering on myself. I think it accentuates the yellow tones in my skin:

Maybelline - Coral Crush

Because of the slip of these lipsticks, they may go on a little patchily, especially if you have dry flakes. I am not a fan of the scent either. In general, though, if you are looking for a top-notch lipstick at a drugstore price, these might be for you. I should mention that the shade range is quite fantastic as well.

* This item was provided free of charge by the BDJ Box Team. I was not required to write a review, etc. All opinions are 100% honest and mine. 🙂

Maybelline is not cruelty-free.