A Random Cake on a Leap Day

Last night, Papa saw me cooking some instant pancit canton. I was going to eat it together with rice, which served as my second dinner/pre-midnight snack. I had dinner 5:30PM and was starving again by 10PM so I had to eat something or else I won't be able to sleep. Then he told me that he was going to buy "something" tomorrow (which is today) so we won't be hungry during the night.

Then today, he came home with this! A random cake! Papa loves buying whole cakes for us even when nobody is celebrating their birthday. I call this cake our "Leap Day Cake".


And it did not even reach midnight untouched, because by the afternoon, I already had a slice! >:)


I have the sweetest Dad. And until today, he still wonders why we all can't gain weight. I do not know why either.

Love,
Helen

PS. Last day to join my giveaway! Enter now for a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color. Giveaway ends tonight, 11:59PM.

Hit Pan: February 2012

These are the products I've used up this month:


Click on the links for a detailed review:

1. The Body Shop Hand Wash in Cranberry Joy - Even if it's empty, I can't throw away the pretty bottle! I still love the gold and red combo and seeing it always reminds me of Christmas. I loved how this smelled of sweet, juicy berries, but still I find it pricey for a hand wash (even with a discounted price). Instead, I refilled the bottle using the refill pack of Watsons Moisturising Hand Soap with Strawberry and Yoghurt Extracts (which smells like REAL yummy strawberry yogurt).
   
2. Pond's Perfect Care Cold Cream - I loved this makeup remover, but now I am using Etude House Happy Teatime Cleansing Cream in Lemon Tea. The packaging looks cuter, the consistency feels fresher and lighter, it smells better, and is cheaper than Pond's Perfect Care Cold Cream.
   
3. Etude House Yogurt Peel Cleansing Foam - This one has already been discontinued, being replaced by the Peel So Good line. The facial wash I am using now is Etude House Happy Teatime Cleansing Foam in Green Tea.
4. Skin Cravings Scrub Me Pretty Body Scrub in Cranberry Yoghurt - Since I keep on forgetting to use body scrub, it took me 4 months to use this bottle up. Pretty good for its price, but I still can't help thinking how the round plastic (?) beads of this scrub will be washed away into bodies of water and will eventually be swallowed by marine life. I still prefer scrubs that are made of salt and/or sugar as exfoliating agents. I'm thinking if I'll just go the D.I.Y. route when it comes to body scrubs (like combining salt and milk powder). Anyway, I still have one bottle of this scrub in Strawberry Yoghurt, which I am sure will smell better and sweeter than the Cranberry Yoghurt variant. After that, I don't think I will repurchase this.
5. Human Nature Sunflower Beauty Oil - This is a must-buy, must-try for everyone! It's the most versatile product ever made, I swear. I use it to remove makeup from my eye area and it melts heavy pigments off like magic. I also used this on my body when my skin itched from the cold dry weather last December. Instant relief! I also use this for my underarms, and I can see lightening and improvement in the skin's texture. If you're considering getting the Sunflower Cleansing Oil from Human Nature, get the Sunflower Beauty Oil instead. The Sunflower Cleansing Oil is just like the Sunflower Beauty Oil, only with added fragrance. The Sunflower Beauty Oil is more versatile and give more value for your money.

How about you, what products have you used up this month?

Love,
Helen

PS. Last day to join my giveaway! Enter now for a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color. Giveaway ends tonight, 11:59PM.

Etude House Natural Mask in Pearl

My oily skin is acting weird and sometimes I feel as if it's turning into combination skin. I'm too lazy when it comes to moisturizing, but now I have to. One quick fix when it comes to bringing back the health to one's complexion is through the use of face masks. This one from Etude House was a GWP from my last purchase, but I believe that they sell this mask too, together with other variants such as Pomegranate, Aloe, and Lemon.


It reads 1,000 mg (but of what?). I can't read Korean words, but I think it's Hydrolyzed Pearl (listed as its Active Ingredients below).


Pros:

• It's a sheet mask, which meant no mess and rinsing off.
• The mask felt relaxing, with no strong scent.
• It left me with softer, more nourished skin.
• It temporarily made the dry patches on my skin disappear.
• It's cheap so you can use up to 2 of these masks a week and not be broke.

Cons:

• The mask does not fit the face perfectly. See the horizontal line across the cheek area? That certain part of the mask left a horizontal mark on my face (but it disappeared within a few minutes).

Price:

• P58.00
• Sometimes, this even goes for free when you buy P500.00 worth of products in a single-purchase.

Will I repurchase?

• Yes. The horizontal line across the mask is workable and not so much of a big problem. I'd like to try the Lemon and Aloe variants too.

Are you fond of face masks? Which one is your favorite? I'm always looking forward for new ones to try.

Love,
Helen

PS. LAST 2 DAYS! Join my giveaway and get a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color! Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.

Gloww Update: After 1 Box

After 2 weeks of taking Gloww, here's an update. I started taking Gloww 2 times a day starting February 13, 2012, so by the time this post is up, I've already consumed 1 box. Here are "Before" and "After" shots of my face without makeup.

Before and After (2 weeks = 1 box of Gloww)

Before and After (2 weeks = 1 box of Gloww)

I tried to take the "After" photo at the same spot, at the same time of the day that I took my "Before" shot, but the sunny day won't let me have the same lighting, so the 2nd photo turned out lighter. (FYI, Gloww has no whitening effect.) After 2 weeks, the part below my eye area and above my cheeks became more radiant; as if I had highlighter on. I'm not so sure with the rosier cheeks effect though, since my default cheek color was already a little pinkish even before I started taking Gloww. Let's see if I can skip putting on some blush after a few more weeks. As for small pimples and little whiteheads, they're still there (Gloww is not an acne treatment medicine after all.)

Have you tried Gloww? How did it work for you?

Love,
Helen

PS. Join my giveaway and get a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color! Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.

PPS. You may read my first Gloww post here.

Sneak Peek: Cosmopolitan March 2012 + Freebie

I got this from National Book Store's E-Newsletter, and I am so excited to share the news with you!

KC Concepcion is on the cover of Cosmopolitan's March 2012 issue! And since it's almost summer, you can get a FREE PRACTICE SAFE SUN KIT with every purchase of this magazine from Booksale, National Book Store, Watsons Philippines, Mercury Drug, Fully Booked, and Ministop.

Love,
Helen

PS. Last 4 days to join my giveaway! Get a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color. Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.

Some Random Haul

When I'm bored and sad, buying things for my loved ones makes me feel better. Since Trinoma and SM North are literally my neighbors, I went there a few days ago to buy some random stuff.

Snacks from Landmark

Rice crackers and jelly for my grandmother. I'll send this over to her house thru courier since I don't know when we will visit her again. I also got some chocolates for my mom, chips for my dad, and nuts for my little sister. Oh, and some gum for me.

Toiletries from Watsons

I used to think that hand washes are the most useless things to get, since there's always good old soap. But then we came to love how convenient it was to have one at the bathroom and one at the kitchen. So there, I got some refills from Watsons. I love that the 2 big refill packs just cause P89.00, and that it has no triclosan in it. My bath lily just gave up on me after a couple of months usage so I got a cream colored one, because it looks so clean and it matches well with my Shea Shower Cream from The Body Shop. The bath lily was too small for my liking though, so I'll get a bigger one next time.

Flats from SM

My sister discovered this brand a few days ago. Flats for P300 each! And they even go for as low as P200 each when you buy 2 of them! They're very soft and comfy. I just hope they last though, but for the price, I can't complain. We also have red and sky blue Solemate flats at home.

So that was my random haul to perk me up! How about you? Any hauls lately?

Love,
Helen

PS. Join my giveaway and get a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color! Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.

National Arts Month Sale: Freeway | Solo

If you loved Freeway's Sionil Jose and Manansala collection, and Solo's Kenkoy collection, then you're in luck as Freeway and Solo celebrate National Arts Month this February with a SALE!


ALL ACCESS CARD Holders are entitled to 15% off on the Sionil Jose, Manansala, and Kenkoy collections from February 23-26, 2012 (Thursday to Sunday).

Happy shopping!

Love,
Helen

PS. Join my giveaway and get a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color! Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.

Enjoy CarbTrim

2/26/12 UPDATE: I'm not satisfied and happy with my Enjoy Philippines card. Some of their partners in Cebu seem to always find a way to NOT to entertain the card benefits. The tie-ups are useless.

1. Radisson Blu - 15% off on room rates (They did not entertain and give discount, instead, they said they had their OWN membership/discount card).
2. Waterfront Airport Hotel - 40% off on published room rates (They did not entertain and give discount for walk-in clients, and they said that the Enjoy cardholder had to book a reservation beforehand so the discount could be granted. The Enjoy Philippines brochure/guide did not indicate that important fact.)
3. Island Souvenirs - 5% off on total bill (Again, I think this discount is only for NON-FOOD ITEMS, because the food items for pasalubong were not discounted.)

I really wish that Enjoy Philippines included the clauses/limitation of the card benefits in their brochure/guide, because I can't help but feel disappointed with the supposed benefits.

---

I love receiving mail (because I'm sure it's not bills since I don't own a credit card)! Here's what I got in the mail yesterday. It's a trial membership card from Enjoy Philippines since I was part of Carbrim's survey respondents.

Are you familiar with CarbTrim? It's is a weight management solution that blocks up to 66% of carbs in the food you eat. This comes in a powdered iced tea form, available in two flavors: lemon and apple. It's a nice 2-in-1 treat for those who don't want to gain any more unwanted pounds since it's just like drinking iced tea together with your meal. Not that I need to lose more weight (because I burn calories by just breathing). I came to know this brand because of the BDJ events I've been to.



I was actually a member of Enjoy Philippines before, well, until my wallet with the card in it got stolen. Glad to have another Enjoy card! This one's good for 1 month only, since it's a trial membership.


Enjoy cardholders get perks and discounts in many establishments, like Blackbeard's Seafood Island, Chef's Table, Clawdaddy, Cupcakes by Sonja, Fish & Co, Flapjacks, Fruit Magic, Gelatissimo, Hyphy's, Italianni's, Krazy Garlik, Momo, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Fields, Museum Cafe, Peking Garden, Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken, Red Mango, Sumo Sam, T.G.I. Fridays, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Tokyo Cafe, Tutti Frutti, 7th High, Manor, Opus, Red Box, Fully Booked, Ace Water Spa, Beauty and Butter, Browhaus, Strip, and more!


I'm loving this chic red card with my name embossed on it, and of course I'll be keeping it even if it expires. :)

If you want to try CarbTrim for FREE, there's a coupon in the Belle De Jour 2012 Power Planner that entitles you to a free sample (2 boxes, I think). SRP of each box is about P145.00.


Thanks, CarbTrim! Like their page Facebook to be updated with their current offerings and promos.

Love,
Helen

PS. Join my giveaway and get a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color! Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.

Say Yes To Carrots!

I have been a lip balm junkie for 12 years already. I think I read too much teen magazines and they said that lip balm is a must-have. I think this addiction is okay; I just love taking care of my lips. I could go on to bed without moisturizing my face and be fine with it, but I can't sleep when I don't have any lip balm on because I feel like they would crack with the coldness of the air-conditioner at night. One lip balm I've recently tried and loved is Yes To Carrots C Me Smile Lip Butter in Berry. (I got this product from House of Flair for being their guest blogger for February.)


About the product:

A beautiful smile will brighten your face, but what brightens a beautiful smile? Your lips - soft, smooth and shining! Yes To Carrots USDA Organic Lip Butters conditions, invigorates, and revitalizes your lips, moisturizing to keep them the smoothest and softest they can be.

Hydrates • Conditions • Soothes

Compared to other organic lip products, this one has a shelf life of 36 months (3 years) upon opening, so there's no chance of it expiring before you get to finish this.

Ingredients:

Coconut Oil, Olive Fruit Oil, Beeswax, Jojoba Seed Oil, Flavor, Sunflower Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Tocopherol, Linalool, Limonene, Orange Peel Extract, Melon Seed Extract, Pumpkin Seed Extract, Carrot Root Extract, Citral, Geraniol, Eugenol

Pros:

• Ingredients used are all natural and organic (except for the fragrance).
• It is not tested on animals.
• It does not have parabens, petroleum, and phthalate. These are very common in typical lip balms, and since I've started reading the label, I try to avoid lip products with harmful ingredients so I won't ingest any of them.
• It has a longer shelf life compared to other organic lip products.
• It is sealed upon purchase. So sealed, that it had a hard time removing the plastic covering, which is a good thing since you'd know that this product is protected.

• Its packaging is simple and clean. I particularly love that it comes in a stick form. I don't like using lip balm in pots because my hands aren't clean all the time, hence I never use them when I am out.
• Its a lip butter. The name itself already seduced me! Lip butters are all the rage right now (even though it's not the same as Revlon's pigmented lip butters and in pots like that of The Body Shop).
• Its glides on and melts when it comes into contact with the lips.
• Its moisturizing without being heavy or waxy.
• Its not tinted and it goes on clear, which I like since I can wear it under any lipstick.

• On days that the skin on the sides of my lips flake due to extreme dryness, I swipe this on my lips and skin, and it helps heal and soothe the dryness. (One perk of it being not tinted, since I'd look like a clown if I used a reddish or pinkish lip balm).
• It lives up to its promise of hydrating, conditioning, and soothing lips.

• I love the berry scent! It smells delicious without being too artificially sweet and fruity. I'd describe this to have a milky strawberry scent, somewhat like strawberry milkshake! I wish it tasted like that too, but this one has no taste.

Cons:

• It's not available locally.
• I'm not sure if mine was an isolated case, but this lip butter has a soft formula that if I twist the bottom of the tube to push the content upwards, it does not go back down, so I have to push it back with my lips. (Somewhat like a non-retractable lip balm.)

Rating:

• 4/5 stars

I'd recommend this product to those looking for an all-organic, all-natural, and all-good lip balm. The price is reasonable for an organic product that would last a long time (good for 3 years). If you prefer tinted ones, Yes To Carrots also has them.

Price:

• Approximately $3.00 for 4.25g/0.15 oz and may be pre-ordered through House of Flair.

With House of Flair, you have the liberty to shop at any US online store. This is extremely convenient for those who have no relatives in the US that can bring in those much raved about cosmetics that are not available here in the Philippines. They have on hand items from fashion and beauty brands (which you can get cheaper compared to mall prices), and they also do pre-order selling. Note that a 50% down payment is required for every pre-order. You may visit House of Flair's site for the complete information regarding their pre-order process.

Like House of Flair on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for more updates and promos.

Love,
Helen

PS. If you'd like to join House of Flair's Guest Blogger Program, read this.

PPS. Join my giveaway and get a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color! Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.

Chloe's Valentine's Treat

Last Valentine's Day, my little sister and I won a Valentine's treat from Chloe of Krispy Kreme! We had a sponsored Valentine's date, but Mama won't let her go to the mall on a weeknight (oh, how I don't miss homework), so I brought our date food home instead.

After fetching my sisters from school, I went to Krispy Kreme in SM North EDSA Annex a little past 5PM and the heart-shaped doughnuts were sold out already! I had the last 2 pieces of cookies and cream heart-shaped doughnuts and the rest were original glazed doughnuts. I decided to just claim a dozen first, and the next dozen on another day so I could have variety.

This was what I took home, together with a steaming cup of coffee for Mama.

Speaking of Krispy Kreme in SM North, their crew are friendly and do remember their customers! Ms. Ces (the store manager) chatted me up because she thought I looked familiar and told me that I'm one of their regular customers. She also gave me her business card, which served as a free coffee voucher for my next visit. Super cool! I like the friendly crew of Krispy Kreme, they're always bubbly and smiling (even though it's always warm in their store compared to other branches).


And yes, the 2 heart-shaped doughnuts went to my sister. (Meet Cheska!) She had one after dinner, and the other one she brought to school as baon. Our doughnuts did not survive 'til morning though, since we ate them all up that night!

Yesterday, I went to claim part 2 of the Valentine's treat, which was another dozen of yummy doughnuts plus a cup of coffee (which I gave to a friend who worked in SM North EDSA Annex). This time, I chose different flavors!


Thanks, Chloe and Krispy Kreme for the (weeklong) Valentine's treat! Do LIKE them both on Facebook so you can get updates and join their promos.

Love,
Helen

PS. Join my giveaway and get a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color! Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.

Snoe Hair Heroes Intense Argan Oil

One product that has been gathering tons of rave reviews is Snoe Hair Heroes Intense Argan Oil. It's a revolutionary 5-in-1 product that replaces shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, de-tangler, leave-on conditioner, and even shaving cream. Snoe Hair Heroes Intense Argan Oil is good for all hair types, but those with colored, damaged, and chemically treated hair would benefit the most from this conditioner because it has no harsh sulfates that can strip off the badly needed moisture out of your hair.

Active Ingredients:

ARGAN OIL: Split-end protection. Restores damaged hair, providing remarkable shine to dull hair. It not only prevents hair damage due to styling and outdoor activities, but also improves elasticity and reduces hair loss due to breakage.
WHEAT PROTEIN: Anti hair-breakage efficacy by more than 80%, anti-inflammatory, Moisturizes
MILK PROTEIN: Protection and repair of dry and damaged hair
MORINGA EXTRACT: Protects hair against environmental stress/pollution
- Strengthening effect on hair fiber: hair strength: + 38%
- Conditioning /repairing effect: improvement of hair surface:+ 64%
- UV Protection: protection of hair keratin quality after UV radiation: + 64%
INDIAN SENNA: improves hair surface, rendering hair softer and brighter
- Aids in making your current color maintain its vibrant sheen.
CUCUMBER EXTRACT: Anti-oxidant and moisturizing properties. Helps maintain healthy scalp.

Pros:

• It has zero sulfates.
• It's not tested on animals, but on Snoe's family and friends first before it gets launched in the market.
• I love the lasting clean, fragrant scent. (Some might describe it to have hints of coconut.)
• I like that this product leaves my waves soft without weighing it down (when used with a separate shampoo).
• It reduced my hair fall and worked better than Human Nature's Natural Strengthening Conditioner.

Cons:

• It's a bit expensive for an everyday conditioner (but justifiable since it has argan oil which is pricey to begin with).
• A little goes a long way, compared to other organic hair care stuff that needs so many pumps of product for it to work.
  
• When the product reaches 1 inch towards the bottom of the bottle, the pump won't dispense the product properly anymore. Perhaps a squeeze type bottle would work better for this formula.
• You can't use this product as a cleansing conditioner alone and skip shampoo altogether. I tried doing that for consecutive days and my hair felt oily and weighed down after 2-3 days. You still have to use a separate shampoo (but do choose a sulfate-free one).
• It might be a bit heavy when used as leave on conditioner, so use sparingly.
  

Price:

• P499.00 for 250ml

Will I repurchase?

• Yes! Since it's a bit pricey, I will just have to use this 2-3 times a week as deep conditioner, since I'd still get great results from this product.

Available in the following locations:

• SM Muntinlupa (2nd floor, Fashion Ave.)
• Festival Mall (Ground floor, behind Jollibee)
• Cinderella Glorietta 3 (Ground floor, near the cashier)
• SM Valenzuela (Ground floor, beside BDO)
• Market Market, Taguig (Ground floor, in front of Forme)
• LandMark Trinoma
• Robinsons Place Dasmarinas Cavite
• SM Las Pinas (Soon to open)

This one is one of my favorite Snoe products together with my Beso Balm and Glam Jam! What's your favorite Snoe product?

Love,
Helen

PS. Join my giveaway and get a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color! Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.

Get Glowwing, Beauties!

Whether it's the love month or not, it's always nice to have radiant, blushing, and glowing skin. I have to admit that I am lazy when it comes to skincare. On normal days, I just use facial cleanser as my skincare regimen (and some makeup remover when I've put on some makeup and spent the day outside). Well, my poor skincare habits have resulted to less than stellar skin that could use some improvement. Prior to trying out Gloww, I did some research and found out that it's made up of natural ingredients (that would unlikely cause side effects) so I decided to try it out. Imagine, skincare in a capsule. How convenient!


Even if I really do not like taking medicine (or multivitamins) because they tend to get stuck in my throat, this one does not even if it's big. Good thing these are softgel capsules.

Ingredients:

About the product:
Gloww (by Mega We Care, originally Glow from Thailand) is an all-natural, BFAD approved, oral skin supplement that improves the skin condition. In our present times when we get exposed to the sun, pollution, and unhealthy diet and lifestyle, our skin tends to lose its natural glow. Gloww consists of 11 essential nutrients that helps nourish our skin's Color, Luminousity, Brightness, and Transparency (CLBT) - which are measures of skin's general health and condition. Gloww nourishes the skin from the inside with its unique Skin, Health, and Nutrient (SKHN) complex that strengthens collagen, detoxifies skin, enhances blood circulation, protects from harmful UV rays and free radicals. By treating and nourishing the skin from within, skin becomes healthier and becomes naturally radiant.

Gloww effectively works in 5 nourishing ways:
1. Collagen Strengthening

• Marine Protein, Horsetail extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen
• Provides skin structure, increase thickness of the dermis (2nd layer of the skin), and adds moisture - making the skin smoother and elastic

2. Blood Circulation Enhancer

• Grape seed extract, Lemon bioflavonoids
• Improves blood flow in the distribution of nutrients and removes impurities that could give clearer and brighter skin

3. Skin Waste Detoxifier

• Green tea extract
• Cleanses the skin’s impurities, thus making the skin clearer

4. UV Protectant

• Tomato extract, D. Salina extract
• Protects the skin from harmful UV rays thus preventing inflammation, redness, and even melasma

5. Free Radical Defense

• Pine Bark extract, Vitamin C, Vitamin E
• Prevents our skin from advanced aging and degeneration
  

Photo Credit: Gloww

Gloww is clinically proven by Spin Control Institute France, a world class research center in France and Asia, to give significant improvement on skin's CLBT after 2 months of consumption.

• Colour (Healthy pink pigments contained in the skin) - increased by 40%
• Luminosity (Shimmering, dewy skin, intensity of light spots in the cheekbones, nose, and forehead) - increased by 21%
• Brightness (Radiance of the skin) - increased by 51%
• Transparency (Fineness and softness of the skin) - increased by 24%

Gloww also currently has a promo wherein you'd get Glowwing charms (trinkets/accessories) for every purchase of 1 box. Visit them on Facebook for more details.


Before I end this post, here's a shot of my bare face, before I started taking Gloww.



It is advised to take 2 capsules daily for the first 2 months, then once a day for the succeeding months. Gloww is available at all leading drugstores nationwide at P750.00 per box.

Whether or not Gloww is an effective way to achieve healthier, more radiant skin, we shall know after a few weeks! Join me on my journey to Glowwing skin. I shall give updates on how this worked for me.

Love,
Helen

PS. Join my giveaway and get a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color! Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.

Allue Creamy Lip Color in Penelope & Sophia (Swatch)

Allue My First... is a cute makeup line that caters to tweens with their skin-friendly formulas, cute packaging, and student-friendly prices. My favorite from their line of cosmetics has to be their Creamy Lip Color palettes! I've reviewed one before but it's just now that I had the time to post actual lip swatches. These cute little lip palettes has 4 lip colors, mirror, and mini lip brush inside, for the rock bottom price of P55.00. And sometimes, they even go on sale for P45.00!


If you think that this are like the kiddie makeup play sets like the ones in Toy Kingdom, then you have to see the swatches to believe how awesome these palettes are. They're pigmented to boot!

The swatches below are based on the number order in the picture above. (I placed them for easier reference.)

These are from the Penelope palette. I find only 2 shades wearable (#2 & #4).

1 - Penelope

Not a big fan of this shade. I feel that it's useless because it's clear and does not add any pinch of color to my lips.

2 - Penelope

I like this cool red-pink shade, a fresh take on the traditional red lipstick.

3 - Penelope

I used to hate this shade because it looks really weird in the palette. Who sports gold lips anyway? But then, I tried topping it with lipstick and it gave a nice glossy twist because of it's golden sheen. I still can't use this alone though.

4 - Penelope

This is a nice light coral shade that looks perfectly natural for that fresh, daytime look.

This second palette (Sophia) is my favorite. Every shade is wearable.

5 - Sophia

If you look at the products on the palette alone, #4 from Penelope and #5 from Sophia looks almost similar since they're both orange, but the colors of the Sophia palette are less shimmery and more opaque. I find this to be more pigmented.

6 - Sophia

Again, I thought that this would be the same with #2 of the Penelope palette. But this one is a more solid and bright red, which I absolutely adore!

7 - Sophia

I'm not a big fan of pink lipsticks, but this was a milky shade of pink that looks very cute and dainty. I would wear this with smoky eyes!

8 - Sophia

The last is a bluish berry shade with shimmer.


If you're looking for new lippies to play with, check out Allue Creamy Lip Color in Sophia from your nearest HBC store. It's definitely worth every penny.

Love,
Helen

PS. Join my giveaway and get a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color! Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.

The Body Shop All About Fashion & Makeup Workshop + Chocomania

One of the perks of being a Love Your Body member of The Body Shop is that you'll get invites to cool events like their "All About Fashion & Make-up Workshop" held yesterday in SM Mall of Asia. Being a super fan of The Body Shop, I just had to go even if I lived way up in the North area! This time, I made my sister tag along so she too could experience the workshop.

Photo Credit: The Body Shop

Lots of gorgeous Love Your Body members attended the event. I got there 4PM, and the store was packed. Everyone wanted to learn about fashion and makeup that was perfect for Valentine's Day and beyond.


Krispy Kreme provided snacks for the guests. We all had our share of these yummy heart-shaped Chocomania doughnuts, which had the same name as The Body Shop's new bath and body range, Chocomania!

To start the workshop, the lovely hosts, Ninna and Issa, did an ice breaker wherein the audience would guess which movie the famous lines they showed on the screen came from. Since I am not a big fan of romantic movies, I was not familiar with any of them! Those who guessed it correctly had a prize.

Photo Credit: The Body Shop

The first segment was basically a styling workshop, where we learned about different body types/shapes and what clothes would flatter us the most. The guest speaker was Mairene Muñoz, a fab fashion designer/stylist. She went to School of Fashion and the Arts and has worked for Mich Dulce as a fashion assistant. This part of the event was all about body appreciation and being confident with dressing up. I particularly loved the part when outfit pegs were shown for casual and formal dates.


The second part was a makeup demo by Carissa Rodriguez and Roma Reposo, The Body Shop's award winning make-up artists.

Photo Credit: The Body Shop
Isai did the fresh daytime makeup look for Kith.

Photo Credit: The Body Shop
Roma did the smoky nighttime makeup look for Kat.

Towards the end of the event, early birds were awarded with Chocomania products. There was also a raffle for the attendees of the event. Luckily, my sister got picked as the last raffle winner! I tell her I am her lucky charm since she sucks the luck out of me whenever we're together! More on the raffle prize later. For now, I shall introduce you to The Body Shop's newest collection, Chocomania.


The Body Shop's Chocomania collection is all about passion, indulgence, and luxury. Chocolate, once was a prized symbol and even used as currency, now comes in delicious smelling bath products for all of us to enjoy. Now we can indulge all we can without guilt! Imagine, stepping into shower on a Monday morning: Chocomania instantly kills Monday blues!

Chocomania Shower Cream

Chocomania Body Lotion

Chocomania Body Scrub

Chocomania Body Butter

This range also comes in sets (perfect as Valentine's Day gifts), but they were all sold out at the day of the event! See how the Chocomania craze has gotten all over everyone. I would seriously rather receive The Body Shop's Chocomania products for Valentine's Day than real chocolates, and The Body Shop's Strawberry gift sets rather than red roses. At least they would last longer than 3 days (typical lifespan of flower bouquets). See how practical I am? Haha!

And now, LOOT TIME! This was my sister's raffle prize, and of course, I had to shoot them for this post. And since we're sisters, we shared the items in it! :D

All things glittery and sparkly for my sister.

And, the mini Chocomania Body Butter for me, since she knows how much I love body butters!

Cindy, Ninna, and I

Check out more pictures from the event here. Thank you, The Body Shop, for hosting the wonderful workshop! Until the next workshop/event! :)

Love,
Helen

PS. Join my giveaway and get a chance to win Etude House Bubble Hair Color! Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.