All posts filed under: Miscellaneous

Make-Up Inventory: Bronzers

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I am revolting… …against the people and companies who want to make us white. This weekend, I was hit by the horrible truth that most Filipinos are suckered into wanting to be whiter. More on that on a previous post I wrote: A Cult(ure) of White. Growing up, I wasn’t really ever into whitening my skin. I mean, I had other “problems” to worry about, like my underbite and braces or my uneven eyes or the overgrown forest on my legs, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Anyway. I never wanted to whiten my skin and I would rejoice every time I went to the beach because I would go home with a pretty tan and a golden glow. 🙂 For the times when I can’t go to the beach, though, there’s always bronzer. I’ve discovered the wonders of bronzer quite recently, so I don’t have very many, but I really wanted to highlight the golden hues of summer so here are a few products to try if you want to fake a little tan …

A Cult(ure) of White

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This weekend, I received BDJ’s April Box, and was disheartened to see that most of the items were aimed at skin whitening. It’s probably harsh and callous to say, but it felt like a KKK theme instead of an “Oh, So Fresh!” box. It’s not that it’s really a surprise at this point. I’m aware that a large part of the Philippine population want to be whiter. It doesn’t mean that it frustrates me any less. I understand it from the business point of view… People want to be whiter, so companies want to sell them something they will buy. Already frustrated with the box chock-full of whitening products, I was further saddened by a trip to the mall the next day. I had to pick up a few things (i.e. a hairdryer, cotton buds, wipes, sun block) and was constantly peddled whitening lotions and creams. Every corner I turned, I was offered some kind of whitening product. I had just come back after one day at the beach and am sporting a slight tan …

Unboxing: April BDJ Box*

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For April, BDJ nixed the brand exclusives trend it was on (with Shiseido and L’Oreal) and gave its subscribers a mixed bag of stuff. Right off the bat, I have to say that the box had some heft to it, which sometimes translates to a good box. But, Heavy = Full-Size Products ≠ Good, so let’s see how well BDJ’s April box fared. I’ll list the products as they appear on my box card. This month’s theme is Oh, So Fresh! aimed at getting us psyched for “one super summer.” A bulk of the items will help you keep fresh in the summer months, and the rest are just fun bonuses. Sorry if I don’t have a photography~ set-up. I don’t even have a vanity table, so you get my work desk! 1. Bifesta Age Care Cleansing Lotion — Touted as Japan’s first water-based makeup remover, this mimics the effects of cleansing oils, minus the oil. The enclosed sample is not full-sized, but it’s priced at Php 419 for a 300ml bottle. I’m very excited …

Back from Japan: Some Photos + My Beauty Loot

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Hello everyone, I’m back from my trip! It was, truthfully, too short a trip and I wish I could have stayed longer because Japan is a beautiful country. 🙂 We visited two cities—Osaka and Kyoto—which are about thirty minutes and ¥430 (or about $5) away from each other. This is Doutonbori Street (the English spelling varies), which is filled with food and large recreations of food that hang outside shop windows. On the left part of this picture, you can kind of see a row of gyoza (dumplings), and a large puffer fish that looks like a blimp. This is especially fun to walk around in at night because it’s so busy and alive. Also, Japanese food is one of the tastiest cuisines in the world! Lorita, a Taiwanese tourist on a solo trip, in a kimono, setting up her tripod to take photos with the sakura or cherry blossom tree. This is a nice one, in Kyoto, because the branches were low, so you can be surrounded by beautiful little blossoms. 🙂 This is …

If You’re Travelin’ in the North Country Fair: Packing Light on Trips

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In September, I took a month-long trip to Europe, on which my family and I got to go around eight different cities. It was amazing, but also tiring as we took the train to get to each destination. That meant we had to be mobile, so my “beauty regime” had to be fuss-free. This was relatively easy for me, as I wasn’t really that into makeup just yet. Here’s a list of what I brought: Travel Brush Set by The Body Shop BB Cream by The Body Shop NARS Eyeshadow Trio (Ramatuelle) Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet (La Distinguée) NARS Sheer Lipstick (Vendanges) MAC Creme Lipstick (Jubilee) NARS Blush (Orgasm) The Body Shop Eyebrow Kit Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer It all fit into a little Clinique bag. On the trip, I bought an eyeshadow duo, two singles, a lipstick, and an eye pen. Part of me is a little grateful that I wasn’t all that into makeup then because I would have hated bringing all those delicate~ items around the trip. As of print, …

Inadvertent Beauty Bay Haul

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So, I got a cardboard case for my Paul & Joe lipstick refill… …and got all these samples. I seriously rolled my eyes at the box I got because it was so huge and I was expecting just a lipstick case. Like, seriously, one tiny thing I could fit into my jeans pocket. But, it turns out, there’s a bunch of other stuff in there. Still, the box was huge but that’s neither here nor there. I have no idea what most of these items are, but quickly, from L-R: Paul & Joe Lipstick Case Mai Couture Blush Papier in Venice Beach — sheets of paper with some sort of blush powder thing that you rub on your face to transfer some of the blush Mario Badescu Cucumber Cleansing Lotion — is this a toner of sorts? Based on experience, facial “lotions” are generally toners. Mario Badescu AHA Botanical Body Soap S Factor Color Savvy Balance Booster — Since it says “Intense Color Maintenance” on the back, I’m guessing this is for hair? I don’t …

Someone Still Lives Here!

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Hello everyone! Posts have been slow as of late for a couple of reasons. One of them being that sometimes I don’t really know what to write about. I don’t know if you guys still enjoy product reviews, so let me know if you still do? Since I’m on a spending ban, I haven’t been the first to get anything~ in any collection so I live vicariously through other bloggers and vloggers and friends. Anyway. Let me know! I will review the rest of the stuff I have stockpiled here, lol. I’m also waiting on a huge MAC purchase that my Canadian friend, Laura, helped me put together, but they’re all semi-basic so I don’t know if I will even review them, really. Also, I think I’ve spoken about that in a post a while ago… and now you know why I had to put myself on a ban. Another reason is that I have been hard at work at… well, my work! If you don’t know (which I don’t expect you to), I am …