Sunday, December 20, 2020

Review: COMMONLABS Vitamin C Brightening Gel Cream

COMMONLABS is a pure vitamin skincare brand that uses vitamins to help maintain healthy and elastic skin.

 
I received COMMONLABS Vitamin C Brightening Gel Cream early this month and have been using it for over 2 weeks.
 
Pros:
 
 
The packaging is simple, and it comes with a spatula for hygienic dispensing.
 

 
It contains 30% sea buckthorn water for hydration and skin healing properties and pure Vitamin C that's great for dull skin. Other noteworthy ingredients are niacinamide, orange peel extract, and PHA (which is gentler and less irritating than AHA).
 

 
Since it's in gel form, the light texture has a cooling feel with a moist (not matte) finish.
 

 
The brightening effect is instant without resorting to white pigments or micro-shimmers. It just gives the skin a nice, healthy glow and a smooth feel.

Neutral:
It has a fruity orange scent.
 
Con:
For Vitamin C skincare, it's ideal to house it in a darker packaging to prevent oxidation.
 

 
πŸ›’ Price: P952 (good quality at a good price)
πŸ›’ Where to buy these products: http://bit.ly/commonlabsph 
(Their Shopee store ships straight from Korea with freebies!)

Love, 
Helen

Let's keep in touch!
Facebook: Lucky Citrine

Saturday, December 19, 2020

A waist trainer that keeps you safe at night exists!

Yesterday was the start of my much anticipated long holiday break as I saved up my vacation credits for it. I’ll return to my day job first week of January, which means I have so much time to do things I love and power through the rest of 2020. I started by getting blood work done yesterday to get a better picture of my health and the results are all normal. I still have to work on lowering my blood sugar level, which is so hard because I love carbs and sweets! This is why even if I may look thin, I still make it a point to do my favorite cardio workout at home to sweat some toxins out. I got back into my exercise groove again this month. I still feel lazy before I work out, but after I’m done, I’m always happy and energized and I love that feeling.

One way to improve workout sessions is by using the best waist trainer – one that can improve your form & posture, feels comfortable, and even keeps you safe during the night!

I’m talking about Shapellx’s NeoSweat™ Neon Reflective WaistTrainer. This waist trainer looks grayish during the daytime, but transforms into a reflective holographic glow when light hits it, so incoming vehicles can instantly see you on the road. It’s rather an interesting conversation piece, don’t you agree?

For voluptuous beauties, Shapellx has a wide range of waist and thigh trainer plus size to accentuate your assets and control problem areas. Aside from waist trainers, they also carry camisoles, shorts, body shapers, etc.
 

Shapellx’s AirSlim™ Lycra Seamless Thong Bodysuit comes in nude and black. This product provides tummy control and lifts the breast & butt so you can show off your natural curves. Lycra is highly elastic, providing light control for an overall smoother look.
 
Still not convinced? The product listings have reviews from verified purchases to help you decide which Shapellx product would be perfect for your needs. The brand has also came up with a list of best products according to the Shapellx Review page from Trustpilot.

Happy shopping! 

Love,
Helen

Let's keep in touch!
Facebook: Lucky Citrine

Thursday, November 26, 2020

bakewithshYUMMY's 2nd Anniversary & Christmas Collection

With the pandemic going on forever here in our country, I was honestly not feeling the Christmas spirit this year... But these goodies from bakewithshYUMMY changed that in a snap! πŸ‘ŒπŸŽ„ I was one of the winners of the #LetsCupcakesPare giveaway of the Let's Eat Pare group in Facebook, in celebration of bakewithshYUMMY's 2nd Anniversary on November 18. πŸŽ‰

 
Their Christmas edition boxes in red and green are so festive, but what's inside is even better. 😍

🍫 Choco Weave Cupcakes
🍌 Beary Banana Cupcakes
🍊 Orange Crinkles
🍫 Choco Crinkles


Their cupcakes are moist, and the frosting details are on point. Plus points for adding double-sided tape at the base of each cupcake, so these arrived in perfectly condition despite motorcycle delivery. πŸ‘


The choco crinkles are so chubby - chewy inside and crisp on the outside. The orange crinkles are so unique, bursting with flavor! They used natural orange juice for this. πŸ’―

Price list:

To order, you can message them on Facebook or Instagram:
Facebook: Bakewithshyummy by Shammy
Instagram: @bakewithshyummy
 
Congratulations for the milestone, and thank you so much for bring Christmas to our home, Shammy!
 
Love,
Helen
 
Let's keep in touch!
Facebook: Lucky Citrine

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Have you seen a rose cut diamond, set in reverse?

This is a story about my second custom-made ring from Theodore's Jewelry PH, and how the unintentional reversed setting made the ring uniquely mine (at least for now). πŸ˜‰
 
I was looking up the internet on what would be the best setting for a rose cut diamond. They were usually set in prongs, but I knew I wanted mine to have a bezel setting. A sparkly ring set in prongs might make me look engaged, and that's not the look I'm going for. πŸ˜†
 
My 14K yellow gold ring with 0.15 carat natural rose cut diamond, reverse setting
 
When Theodore's Jewelry PH sent me a photo of my finished ring, I found it very beautiful but wondered why I couldn't see the facets. When I received the ring, I found that the diamond was set in reverse. For rose cut diamonds, it's usually the curved facets facing up and flat side down.

 
They asked me if I want to have it corrected as it was the first time of the goldsmith to work with a rose cut diamond, but I already love it as it is. I call my ring "the beauty underneath". With the flat side up, it has a glowing halo on the border of the stone plus a hexagonal sparkle inside when light hits it. Underneath the bezel, look closely and there are the curved facets I've been looking for, initially.
 
This ring has a glassy look and is probably safe from snatchers because it's pwet ng baso to the untrained eye, but I know what it really is. Haha! Because the stone has its flat side up, the diamond is fully protected by the metal that surrounds it. In the event that I get tired of the design, I can have the stone reversed and make it look like a new ring.

The point of improvement for this ring are minor hairline scratches on the sides of the ring, which are visible when zoomed in via camera or under intense sunlight.

14K white gold ring with 0.15 carat natural rose cut diamond by Theodore's Jewelry PH
 
Theodore's Jewelry PH can also set the rose cut diamond with the facets facing up, which is the usual look for rose cut diamonds.
 
Theodore's Jewelry PH can make your dream engagement or wedding rings according to your budget. While I have a personal bias towards yellow gold, I think white gold looks exceptionally beautiful with diamonds and high neck wedding dresses such as this one!


There are no rules on how to set the stone "correctly", because it depends on your preference. I just think this is worth sharing, as I've been looking for a photo of a rose cut diamond set in reverse but never found one on the internet, so I'm happy to share mine! 😁
 
Instagram: @theodorejewelryph
 
Love,
Helen

Let's keep in touch!
Facebook: Lucky Citrine

Saturday, November 21, 2020

Instant Hair Makeover with UniWigs

Who wouldn’t want a good hair day, every single day? Hair is indeed one’s crowning glory, but aging brings about the inevitable thinning hair. Sometimes, people fall ill and lose their hair, which greatly affects their confidence.
 
The backstory behind the US-based wig brand UniWigs is a touching one – a close friend of UniWig’s founder was diagnosed with cancer and had lost her hair, which prompted the founder to create a beautiful wig for her as a hair loss solution. The rewarding feeling has since inspired the founder to help more people experiencing hair loss via creating wigs – which then led to the birth of UniWigs in 2012.
 
The brand has since expanded their products not just for those suffering from hair loss, but also for anyone who wants to change up their look. They have variety of fashion wigs in every color, length, and texture imaginable! Just take a look at these beauties:

Siren's Song

Dusty Rose

They also have a number of natural and synthetic wigs in store. Synthetic wigs have a more affordable price point without compromising the look and quality of the product. I’m amazed by their creative product lineup! The wig named Magical below is the thick, lush, curly hair I aspire to have.

Magical

UniWigs is currently having a Thanksgiving Sale from November 21 to 26! Get up to 40% off sitewide + FREE worldwide shipping + free gift*. (Terms and conditions apply.)


Happy shopping!

Love,
Helen
 
PS. UniWigs is a US-based wig brand with offices in Los Angeles and Asia. The brand sources their products in various Asian countries and ensures that they are sustainably made. The wigs are made in China and the facilities they work with employ working-age staff which  receives proper salary, normal working hours, weekends off, and holiday leave. These are important factors to consider when supporting a brand.

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Where to get dainty rings + IG shops review

I don't usually wear accessories, but the pandemic has brought about a series of dainty jewelry purchases by me and my sister.


We got these from different Instagram shops, so here's a review! πŸ’›
 
 
14K Yellow Gold Knot Ring from @thecanvaspersonalized
 
The Canvas Personalized's IG store is so classy. They do custom pieces in stainless steel, silver 92.5, 14K and 18K solid gold. Their knot ring arrived in a velvet box, earlier than the expected date. Good quality with no flaws. My sister bought this at a slightly higher price, but they were able to find another metalsmith hence the lowered cost.

Current price, subject to change without prior notice:
PHP 2,980 for size 4 to 6.5
PHP 3,280 for size 7 to 9
Approximate weight: 0.5g to 0.7g for all sizes


14K Yellow Gold Twisted Ring from @leahsjewelrygram

My sister discovered Leah's Jewelry randomly while browsing her IG feed, saw that @iamhearte was following the said account, so she impulsively ordered a twisted ring. However, Heart unfollowed the shop days after. The ring arrived in a velvet box, but the output was expectations versus reality. The twisted ring did not lie flat on the table so it has an uneven shape, the part where it's soldered is evident (there's a small untwisted part when you look closely), and it's bendy despite being 14K solid gold, which means it's too thin. It also has an odd tone for 14K yellow gold. My sister wants to pawn the ring to get rid of it, but decided not to because she won't get much money back as the weight is not substantial. Their shop sells dainty rings in different styles, and the price may initially seem affordable, but the quality is not so good, at least in my sister's experience.

As for my own experience with this shop, M bought me a custom silver initial necklace plated in rose gold also from Leah's FB page in 2018, which I accidentally discovered during quarantine while browsing the shop's ancient IG story highlights. The necklace has tarnished so much I have stopped wearing it. I don't know how to clean it because it's plated, so it looks like it needs cleaning and replating, which is too much work for something inexpensive. 
 
Because of that, M never bought me sterling silver jewelry again regardless of brand. He upgraded to gold.πŸ˜‰ So no, we will never buy Pandora too, because it's just overpriced branded sterling silver.

Price bought: PHP 2,500


14K Yellow Gold Bubble Ring from @theodorejewelryph
 
Theodore's Jewelry PH sells 18K Saudi gold and custom jewelry with local setting. I wanted to buy a bubble ring for so long (budol by Princess Mendoza and Heart for always wearing VCA PerlΓ©e rings). This shop's turnaround time was around 3 weeks. The output was not perfect initially, as there was a minor flaw on the inner surface of the ring (lacks gold on the soldered part so there's a small line). The seller is very accommodating and open to changes/feedback. My rings has been repaired, and it's perfect now! What I like about their bubble ring - the inner surface is not hollow but solid. (If it's hollow, then dirt can and will accumulate in it.) I'm satisfied by my ring's appearance, thickness, and weight (approximately 1 gram). It also doesn't look and feel fragile, so it's definitely okay to wear everyday. I do take care of it by still not showering with my gold jewelry, even if they don't tarnish. I just want to keep them sparkly for long.
 
Current price, subject to change without prior notice: PHP 4,500
Approximate weight: 1g


For me, the price of PHP 4,500 is justified because of my difficult ring size (3.75), so I will never find a ready-made 18K Saudi gold ring that would fit and I will forever need to resize or go custom. Custom-made rings require the labor of our local goldsmiths and support their livelihood. I chose 14K gold because this material is harder and more resistant to everyday wear and tear. I liked the final output so I bought my second custom-made ring from Theodore's Jewelry, but I'll save that for another post!
 

Hope this review helps! πŸ˜‰

Love,
Helen

Let's keep in touch!
Facebook: Lucky Citrine