Seowoo 3S Pre-glued Lashes in Tender

I miss having lovely lashes, and I've been thinking of getting extensions done again. I don't know how to put on fake eyelashes to save my life, and I have no patience and talent working with lash glue. Then I remembered having seen pre-glued lashes being sold online. I saw 3S Pre-glued Lashes being sold at Beauty and Minerals, and so my sister and I each got a pair. She got Majestic (which was too long in person), and mine was Tender (which we both liked better). I also got a pack of refill for the adhesives. So here's my review!

Seowoo 3S Pre-glued Lashes in Tender

Each pack comes with a spare adhesive strand. 

Tender, when worn

I am in love with this pair of 3S Pre-glued Lashes! Please excuse my slick brows, that's anti-bacterial ointment, since this photo was taken one day after I had my brow tattoo retouched. So now, I have S3 Eyebrow Stranding for my brows, and 3S Pre-glued Lashes...and I couldn't be happier!

I love how these lashes in Tender look so fine and natural. It's perfect for daytime, especially if you're after the clean makeup look. It's as if I am already wearing black liner, too! I was able to put on this in under a minute, even if it was my first time to put on false eyelashes, ever. It's not heavy, and you can reuse it 2x (or 3x, if your lids aren't oily, and you don't wear any eye makeup with it at all). Removal isn't painful, and your real lashes won't come off. I love you already. If you're after the smokey eye or dramatic look, then you should go for their other flashier pairs. You will not regret!

Putting them on is a breeze, but the hard part (at least, for me) is replacing the adhesive strands, which I'm still getting used to. I still can't get them perfectly right. Help!

I'd like to thank the person who invented pre-glued lashes! :D Now, I don't think I'll need (or want) to have lash extensions done anymore, since they come off unevenly, every single time. At least with this, I can have pretty lashes anytime I want. 3S Pre-glued Lashes are durable, so I can reuse them and just buy extra adhesive! But I would repurchase this pair when the need comes, and try their other variants, too!

Price: P250
Available online at Beauty and Minerals

Like Beauty and Minerals on Facebook for more information.

Love,
Helen

Let's keep in touch!

Lucky Citrine on Facebook
Lucky Citrine on Instagram

Favorite: Kiehl's Hair-Obsessed Sister Set

When you receive Christmas presents, do you wait until Christmas eve to open your gifts or do you just open them immediately (well, not exactly in front of the giver, but you get my point)? As for me, I'm more of the latter. Haha! My family isn't very traditional when it comes to Noche Buena, but we do make it a point to eat dinner together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. And...the granny in me was already asleep by 11:30PM that night. Hohoho!

One of the prettiest presents I've received for Christmas was this Kiehl's Hair-Obsessed Sister Set from my LUSH Soap-obsessed sister, Cindy. We gave each other kikay things this year! She knew I wanted this set for sooo long but it's kinda pricey, so this counts as my Christmas gift slash next year's birthday gift as well, said her. LOL

It comes in the prettiest box with happy colors, so it's a keeper. I wasn't too excited with the deluxe samples the set originally came with, and apparently, you can have it exchanged as you please. YES PLEASE! :D

Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo and Conditioner are my hair's miracle workers. I've hated my wavy hair since September (when I had it cut at a kanto salon, never again I swear), and using conventional shampoos with high sulfate content exacerbated its unruly state. This duo smells like coconuts; it's okay with me, but I've used yummier smelling ones before. The Amino Acid Shampoo from Kiehl's still has sulfate, but in another form, with low concentrations. This makes the lather not too foamy and stripping, and in effect, my hair is not too frizzy. But it's still not perfect. As with any gentle shampoo, it won't be able to clean my hair perfectly, hence I get buildup by the end of the week. Once a week, I use a "stronger" shampoo to rebalance my hair. The Amino Acid Conditioner is a mild and nourishing partner of my shampoo. I like it, but I'm also open to trying out their other variants in the future. I've actually reviewed both these products before, which I'll be linking below for your reference.

Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo

Kiehl's Amino Acid Conditioner

Deluxe samples:

Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye

These deluxe samples are so fancy, but I haven't used them yet since I'm saving them for travel.

Trivia: Did you know that you can get a deluxe sample when you turn in 3 empty bottles or tubes of Kiehl's products? :D

Say hello to the hair-obsessed sisters! That's Anna, by the way! And that's what Kiehl's does to my hair, without any tools or styling products. Yes, I will repurchase. Final answer! :D

Hope you had the merriest Christmas!

Like Kiehl's on Facebook for more information.

Love,
Helen

Let's keep in touch!

Lucky Citrine on Facebook
Lucky Citrine on Instagram

Nature Republic Haul

I just had to do a separate post for Nature Republic's store opening and haul. It's my first time to attend one of their blogger events, and aside from being too thrilled with their spanking new testers (which I was able to use and swatch fearlessly), they also gave away TONS of freebies. As in, I didn't even need to go to Korea just to experience beauty shopping their way.

Aren't they lovely?

YES.

They gave each blogger a P1,000 GC, which I used to buy 3 things, and look at EVERYTHING I was able to take home with me. This is Korean skincare overload!

Haul

Nature Republic Bee Venom Treatment Spot

I first discovered the wonders of Bee Venom when I tried the Belo AcnePro Kit. Now it's time for an upgrade! I find this spot treatment very effective in stopping huge cystic acne from forming, but it's still mild since it doesn't make my skin dry or flaky at all. My sisters steal this from my kit every single night, so the huge size (all 30ml of it) is really helpful.

Nature Republic Nail Remover (Green Tea)

I actually bought this by mistake. LOL! I thought we were out of Nature Republic Flower Waltz Color Waltz Nail Remover (my favorite nail polish remover) at home, but when I got home, we still had half a bottle tucked away inside the depths of my sister's closet. I still like the previous pink one better; it smells more pleasant and is more affordable to boot.

Nature Republic Real Nature Mask Sheet

There's such a thing as "too good to be true" and that's never a good thing. But THIS deal is too good and it's true! It was my first time buying 20 face masks in one go, but it's sooo worth it. (Also, this makes for super handy Christmas gifts, too!)

Nature Republic Snail Solution Trial Kit (GWP)

I got this kit for free, for a single-receipt purchase of P1,000. I'm so excited to try the Snail Solution range!

They also had a promo wherein they gave packet of sample for customers wearing green that day. Well, my dress had a couple of green leaves on it so... PUSH! Haha!

And these are their gifts for me for attending the store opening! :D (Thank you so much, Nature Republic Philippines!) I have so many travel-sized samples to bring to my travels next year! ♥

Like Nature Republic Philippines on Facebook for more information. :)

Love,

Helen

Let's keep in touch!

Lucky Citrine on Facebook
Lucky Citrine on Instagram

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Sultry

Revlon was perpetually on sale this year, slashing 50% off on selected best-sellers from time to time. I had to withhold the urge to give in every single time, because I already have x amount of lipsticks inside my kit and using one up is a huge thing! But then again, there's no such thing as too many lipsticks so I made sure to make my next purchase count. Say hello to my newest favorite!

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Sultry
 

225 Sultry/Sulfureuse
 

I already have a couple of shades from Revlon's ColorBurst Balm Stain line. While I expected to use Honey more often since it's a great MLBB shade, my love for bold lipstick made Lovesick a mainstay inside my everyday kit, hence only 1/3 of it is left, while Honey is now inside my sister's kit. Now, it's Sultry I use every single day. It comes in a retractable chubby crayon packaging, no need to sharpen, but the tip won't be as sharp as this after several uses.
 

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Sultry is a very beautiful pinkish brown shade. It is said to be a dupe for MAC Twig, but I think it's also a close match for NYX Doll. I love how this shade glides on smoothly thanks to the Triple Butter Complex of shea, mango, and coconut butter. It smells like peppermint and gives my lips a slight but very pleasant tingle for a few minutes upon application. It looks matte and feels velvety, and it gives off a very premium feel. It does look like an expensive lipstick when worn, but with a drugstore price, which makes it even better! It's pigmented too, and can cover (and look lovely) on dark lips as well, which means a little goes a long way.

It's not as long lasting as the ColorBurst Balm Stains, as it completely comes off after a meal, leaving me with no hint of tint on my lips. Reapplication is a must, and when your lips isn't as smooth by midday as it is in the morning, you can apply a matte lip balm such as Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm as base. Burt's Bees is now available at ZALORA. (It comforts me to know this, since I won't need to go to the mall anymore just to buy their products!) Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm may highlight flaky lips due to its texture, so make sure they're smooth and supple prior to application.

Overall, I am over the moon with this lippie! It's matte, it's minty, and the shade is absolutely gorgeous. I'd repurchase if I ever use this one up, or maybe get another lovely shade from the Matte Balm range.

Like Revlon Philippines on Facebook for more information.

What is your favorite shade from Revlon ColorBurst?

Love,
Helen

Let's keep in touch!

Lucky Citrine on Facebook
Lucky Citrine on Instagram

The Body Shop Eye Palette in Swinging Silver

It's been a while since I played with powder eyeshadows, and this lovely palette from The Body Shop's Winter Trend 2015 collection piqued my curiosity and rekindled my love for eye makeup once more.

The Body Shop Eye Palette in Swinging Silver (P1,495)

I mean, just look at that lovely packaging inspired by the shimmering 1920s and The Great Gatsby! On the other hand, it does resemble a fancy chocolate bar. Hehehe!

At the back are instructions on how to put on the 4 shades. This palette's packaging reminds me of The Body Shop's Winter Trend 2014 Eye Palette in Dolly Pastels, only that one has a cutesy Christmas jumper print on the cover. This year's version is more luxe, and the I like the color selection better as well. It's more me!

The palette comes with a mirror and a double-ended eye brush (with a sponge and a flat angled brush on each end). With this set, I prefer to use my fingers, and use a separate eye shadow brush for the dark blue shade.

Swatches:

All shades have a beautiful metallic finish, and they're very smooth and pigmented as well. I reckon one can even wear these shades on a daily basis, and not just for the holidays.

The peachy and gray shades on top can be used even during daytime. You just have to layer them on to make them more intense. The midnight blue shade looks so deep and beautiful on the palette, but it almost looks like black when worn. It can replace your dark eyeliners when you're doing a smokey eye look. The silver shade is the most shimmery one among all shades, and you can either use this to create a solid line (when used with a wet brush), or as accent on the inner corners of your eyes.

When worn:

My first attempt to play with this palette. I'm used to just wearing a single shade of neutral eyeshadow in real life LOL, so it was fun to try copying the look. This one's less intense, but it works! And for the first time, I was finally able to copy an eye look from the directions on the box, which means this palette is really easy to work with. I love it!

The Body Shop Eye Palette comes in Swinging Silver and Grooving Gold.

The best part is, if you have a BDO credit/debit card (and almost everyone does!), you can get this eye palette at buy 1, get 1 FREE! :D

Like The Body Shop, Philippines on Facebook for more information.

Love,

Helen

Let's keep in touch!

Lucky Citrine on Facebook
Lucky Citrine on Instagram

AcneCare Skincare Regimen + GIVEAWAY

Growing up, I experienced acne myself. It was during my puberty years when my skin acted up, and  it went on until college. My skin has relatively cleared up since then, but I still do get adult acne around my U-zone once in a while. (Ugh. Signs of aging.) I remember an old classmate and I met one time while I was wandering around the beauty aisles inside the mall. She asked me how I made my pimples disappear, because she remembers that I had a lot during my college days. LOL. I'm fortunate that I get to try a lot of products, and I am glad that now there are a lot of options on how we could treat acne, without needing to resort to painful pricking and injections.

AcneCare sent me 2 sets of their expanded skincare range - one to try and experience for myself, and another one for my dear reader! :D (Yes, you can win a loot worth almost P3,000, just in time for Christmas.)

Let's get to know AcneCare's new products!

AcneCare Soap (P149 for 135 grams)

The first step to clearer skin is always clean skin - free from dirt and excess oils that can clog the pores. AcneCare Soap has an innovative and revolutionary mix of potent acne busters while still being skin-friendly. It contains antibacterial Tea Tree Oil, Bio Sulfur, and Ace-B3 which stands for Aloe vera extract (to moisturize and protect), Vitamin C (to prevent photodamage caused by UV rays), Vitamin E (to fight against free radicals), and Vitamin B3 (or niacinamide to clarify and lighten the skin).

This soap helps dry out pimples faster compared to the usual facial wash I use. I also use it to treat bacne, and it works. It has the tendency to leave my face feeling tight though, so I always follow with an oil-free moisturizer.
 

 

AcneCare Acne Drying Lotion (P299)

At last! I've been searching for a more affordable alternative to the famed Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, and here it is! AcneCare Acne Drying Lotion is a mix of sulfur, salicylic acid, and witch hazel extract. My skin cooperated with me because a small zit literally popped its ugly head when I got this in the mail. This one's easy to use. I just dip a clean cotton bud into the bottle to get a small amount of product,and just dab it on my pimple. I felt a slight stinging sensation (similar to when I use an alcohol-based toner on the zit I just picked on), but it goes away in seconds. The solution dries to a pinkish "crust", so it's advisable to use this product only at night or when you're at home during the day, or else you'll be spotted with pink spots on your face. When I woke up, my pimple didn't exactly disappear like magic, but it did become smaller. It took 2-3 days for the small pimple to completely dry up, which is workable for me. It's worth trying if you're looking for an alternative to benzoyl peroxide.

Remember: Don't' shake it! The pink sediments need to be compact at the base of the bottle for the formula to work. Also, this type of formula works better on pimples with visible pus, compared to the painful ones you can feel underneath your skin.
 

AcneCare Lactoferrin (P885 for 30 capsules)

For those who aren't iffy about taking supplements, this one's AcneCare's original (and most popular) product. AcneCare Lactoferrin takes care of the skin from within, where topical products can't reach. Just take 2 capsules before bedtime. Each bottle is good for 2 weeks, and there is no side effect.

Now, it's giveaway time! This gift pack is a collaboration between AcneCare and Snow, both brands from Vida Nutriscience, Inc. - so you'd get perfect skin just in time for this years festivities and beyond.

The Prize:

• 2 AcneCare Soaps
• 1 AcneCare Lactoferrin (30 capsules)
• 1 AcneCare Drying Lotion
• 1 Snow Skin Whitening Lotion

Just follow the easy instructions on the Rafflecopter widget. All steps are mandatory. Contest will run from December 13-20, 2015, and 1 winner will be picked randomly. I will ship the prize to the winner. :) Should the winner not respond within 10 days, the prize will be forfeited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

God bless you! Advance Merry Christmas, dear readers! :D

 

AcneCare is available in Lazada.

Love,

Helen
 

Let's keep in touch!

Lucky Citrine on Facebook
Lucky Citrine on Instagram 

Update: Skin House Underarm Revlite Laser [4th Session]

Finally, I had the time to squeeze in my 4th (and final) session of Revlite Laser for the underarms last night at Skin House in Quezon City. I'm happy with the results, and I can't wait to share another shameless kilikili selfie with you guys. LOL :D You may refer to my previous post for the complete details about the Revlite Laser treatment.

I'm loving the bed makeover, too. The crisp white sheets look nice and clean, and is more fit for Skin House's theme.

And this one's my underarm's new BFF: Skin House's Revlite machine.

They took mugshots of my underarms for filing purposes. These were taken a few minutes before the 4th session, so the final outcome is somewhere close to these shots.

Right underarm

Left underarm

This is the current state of my underarms, after 6 sessions of Diode Laser and 4 sessions of Revlite Laser. (I love lasers, can you tell?)

The more sessions I went through, the more my skin has adjusted and became more resilient. My therapist was able to do 3 passes of Revlite Laser on each underarm before petechiae (pinpoint bleeding) occurred, which was a sign that the laser has penetrated into the skin. Nothing to worry about, since it goes away in a few minutes. As for the pain, it was very minimal and tolerable. This laser goes deep into the skin to produce collagen. My underarms feel extra soft for the next 2-3 days after I have Revlite Laser done. They also look and feel a lot smoother, with less lines and chicken skin. The laser was also able to shatter the pigments/unsightly shadows, leaving it with a more even tone, though the results would be more pronounced and dramatic on dark underarms.

It's pricey at P3,500/session but Skin House has packages on discounted rates for 6-8 sessions (which is the recommended number of sessions).

If you're on the road to perfect underarms, I recommend that you start with Diode Laser to kill the hair follicles first. After all, manual hair removal such as shaving and plucking is the main culprit for dark underarms, ingrown hair, and chicken skin. If you're done with Diode Laser, you still have to do a once a year "booster" session to target the remaining few strands that might not have responded to the previous treatments. This is where Revlite Laser comes in for me. Revlite Laser is able to zap away fine hair strands (and turn them white in the process), rejuvenate, and whiten the skin as well. (Also, don't use deo if you don't really need to. This will help a lot.)

Important: When undergoing Revlite Laser, you may not use any product that contains whitening ingredient. Also, Revlite Laser has no downtime. You can bathe and wet your skin, but only with lukewarm or cold water.

I'm happy with my Skin House experience, and will gladly recommend this skin clinic to my family and friends. (As of press time, I'm convincing my sister to do Diode Laser here, too.) :)

Visit http://www.theskinhousebeauty.com/ for more information. Also, Like Skin House Beauty and Laser Clinic on Facebook and follow @skinhousebeauty on Instagram. :)

Love,

Helen

Let's keep in touch!

Lucky Citrine on Facebook
Lucky Citrine on Instagram

Nature Republic Opens in Robinsons Place Manila!

Hey everyone! I'm back with an exciting news from Nature Republic! They've opened their latest branch in Robinsons Place Manila (Midtown Wing) last November 14, and I went there to see what the buzz was all about. I'll be sharing with you a virtual tour of the place, so if you need any more convincing on paying this branch (or your nearest Nature Republic store) a visit, here goes! :D

Nature Republic Robinsons Manila Midtown

Nature Republic's most popular product, Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel, is the first and original aloe gel in Korea before other brands followed suit. It's a must have in everyone's vanity table!

Hair Care

Men Care

 

Skin Care

in Bee Venom, Aloe Vera, Fresh Green Tea for your every skin concern

Makeup Removers

in every type - oil, wipes, cream, and even gel cream -

such as the Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera Cleansing Gel Cream

 

Cleansers, Toners, and Moisturizers

Face, Hand, and Foot Masks

 

Body Wash & Lotions, Hand Creams, and Hand Sanitizers

colorful treats for your hands and body

Free Makeovers!

Face Bases

- primers, BBs, CCs, foundations, and compacts

Pretty Highlighters :3

 

Eyeshadows in every shade

(Now how can I hit pan on even one color? It's huge!)

Lippies! ♥

I'm particularly liking the Moist Angel Lip Balm; it leaves the lips with a hint of pink tint!

 

Nature Republic Botanical Magic Lip Tint

This one's next on my wishlist. It's like a Sharpie marker - but for the lips! It stains the lips and lasts for a LONG time!

Nature Republic Magic Remover Corrector 

magically erases any unsightly smudge and mistake

At the end of the day, pamper your lips with this duo - By Flower Lip Scrub + Provence Lip Essence in Herb Mint = happy lips in the morning! :*

Nail Polish

I'm particularly into the Rose Gold and Gold shades, but they also have the interesting Sunny Gel Nails (gel nail polish without the need for UV/LED lamps).

I had a blast trying out spanking new (and most importantly, CLEAN) testers. Officially in beauty heaven, peeps! :D

To not bore (male) guests such as my Panda,  a snack booth was made available for them to explore while the ladies played with makeup. Hihi

I also got to meet my cute and friendly reader, Parda! She's really sweet. We both bought (or more like hoarded) face masks that day! (Ubos na ba yung sayo, dear? Haha) :D

FREEBIES!

You know when your favorite bloggers go to Korea and do beauty product hauls, I'm always left in awe by the generosity of the beauty brands there - sometimes you even get more freebies than what you actually bought! :o And Nature Republic made me feel like I didn't even need to Korea just to experience that. Ahhh! I'm so excited to share with you my haul! Basta, you really have to go when they open new branches! :D

And finally, I now have (registered for) my Nature Republic membership card - free for a P1,000 single-receipt purchase. I have yet to claim my card since they ran out, but this card will enable me to get a 10% off discount for my future purchases. With no expiry, so #MayForever! :D

So if you're looking for presents to give this Christmas, you know where to go! :D Like Nature Republic Philippines on Facebook for more information, updates, and promos.

Love,
Helen