Don't throw away pretty lipstick packaging...

Because you're paying for it!

I got this tip from fellow beauty girl @projectmakeupuseup on Instagram. Apparently, you can transfer your lipstick from one tube to another easily. So that means you can plant your cheap drugstore makeup into fancy lipstick tubes. Wink wink! 😉

Trivia: This is the opposite of my 2012 lipstick saving tip, where I used heat to transfer my broken lipstick to another container. This time, we need the freezer!

Here's a lipstick I salvaged and transferred to a beautiful tube! I love my Blythe by Careline Stellar Satin Lipstick even if it gave up on me on Day 1, as it broke when I did an arm swatch. The packaging was cutesy and made of light plastic, and I have no attachment to it so I decided to transfer the remaining bullet to my L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Limited Edition Red Carpet Cannes Lipstick 999. This L'Oreal lipstick is limited edition, and I don't think it was ever sold here in the Philippines. I don't have a lot of L'Oreal lipsticks in my kit as I've steered clear of the brand for years due to news of lead in their lipsticks.

This red lippie was sitting in my drawer for years, until I decided to pull the lipstick out of the tube and just use its container. It was brand new when I decided to pull it out without freezing and it didn't work. So I froze the lipstick for a few hours before reattempting to pull out the bullet. You just need a tissue (preferably without texture) to hold the bullet, and gently wiggle it out. It comes out mess-free! What a genius trick! 💖 Notice the horizontal line on the pulled out lipstick? That is the actual amount left when you think you have finished using your lipstick.

Important: Check the diameter of the lipstick bullet first to see if it will fit its new container. In case it doesn't, just return it to its original tube.

Swatches of Blythe by Careline Stellar Satin Lipstick in Juliet & L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Limited Edition Red Carpet Cannes Lipstick 999

Before throwing the red L'Oreal lipstick, I decided to do swatches of the lipstick I saved and the lipstick I sacrificed. I used to love red lipstick so much, but now I'm into nudes that don't wash me out and mauve-y pinks that look natural. The shade 999 is beautiful, but I have no regrets letting it go. According to Careline, their Blythe range is lead-free, cruelty-free, and paraben-free.

Love,

Helen

 

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Shopee discovery: DIY matcha milk tea for my cravings

One random Shopee find was this 500g pack of InJoy Matcha Milk Tea. I haven't heard about the brand before; it only appeared on the Flash Deals tab. Since it's matcha (I love all things matcha) and it had a lot of good reviews (4.9 out of 5 stars), I bought one to try. I've been craving milk tea and during the quarantine I had my milk tea fix delivered thrice, and if that will continue, it will get costly. Hence, the DIY route!

Preparation:

500g Injoy Milk Tea Powder + 4 liters of cold water = 14-16 servings

Their Shopee page has individual serving instruction of 4 tbsp (45g) Injoy Milk Tea Powder + 360ml water + ice, but I think that would be too much powder. The pack's Nutrition Facts state that the serving size is 36g powder, and number of servings per pack is 14.

I didn't bother to transfer the powder to another container. I just seal it using a food clip. I also put a baby formula scooper inside the pack for easy dispensing.

What I like about this DIY matcha milk tea is that it makes use of real milk and not creamer. I use a regular-sized mug, so I just need around 1.5 scoops of powder and either cold or hot water. Yes, it does dissolve fully even in cold water! And it actually tastes good. Parang binili sa labas. Well, it's tad sweeter and milkier compared to Starbucks Green Tea Latte, but for it's price, I cannot complain. The store does sell DIY pearls (also with good reviews), but I don't want the hassle of cooking tapioca pearls so I'm fine with the milk tea alone. They also have cream cheese and cream puff toppings. I might repurchase if I don't get tired of the flavor by the time I finish this pack, but as of now I'm currently enjoying this drink very much. Super tipid pero masarap! I'm not craving for milk tea delivery anymore...for now. They also have other milk tea flavors like taro, Okinawa, Hokkaido, chocolate, and caramelized sugar.

Ingredients

Nutrition Facts

Price: PHP 152 for 500g (14 or more servings)

This goes on sale sometimes, and Shopee has discount vouchers for more savings.

Available at Shopee

Have you tried InJoy products?

Love,

Helen

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Fun weekend with my girls ♥

I miss writing diary posts like this. But the fun weekend I just had with two of my favorite blogger friends - I just have to document, so I can backread when I'm old! :D
 

Hi, Tellie and Dawn! :)

I met both Tellie and Dawn way back during beauty blogger events! We would chat endlessly about kikay stuff and life. We needed some catching up since Tellie was only on a short vacation here in the Philippines and will be going back to Korea once again this week. I suggested we meet up at DeAntonni Hobby Cafe at Del Monte Avenue, near Ace Water Spa/Banawe area. :D

Pretty Dawn :D

I love Dawn's fresh and bold look, and she's wearing Maybelline's Burgundy Blush lipstick here. (This one's a selfie she took on my phone. Hehe) I originally wanted to buy Clay Crush (which is a peachy nude shade that was also in her kikay kit that day), but because of her I want Burgundy Blush as well. The lippies are currently on sale at P199. Ano ba! Ayoko nang gumastos but how can you resist that.

I chose this place as venue since we planned on going to another board game cafe before and laging nauudlot. So this time, natuloy na siya. YEHEY! :D

I wasn't able to take photos of their dishes because I forgot. :P

I had this huge order of Pork Chop with Cheese Sauce (P140). If you like the pork chop at Tasty Dumplings, well mas masarap ito. Haha! It's more plump and tender, plus you can't beat the size. The original version comes with a sweet sauce blend, and I was the one who made kulit one day to have cheese sauce go with my pork chop. After that, it became popular so they included it in the menu. (You're welcome, guys! Haha)

We also ordered this huge plate of Nachos (P120) as our pica-pica while playing! Price range of this Hobby Cafe is affordable. You can play board games, read, or just chill since it's homey here. They have all-day breakfast, rice meals, pastas, sandwiches, snacks, coffees, milk teas, and more. I might do a feature in the coming days, but feel free to check out DeAntonni Hobby Cafe on Facebook for more information.
 

That day, I brought a Kracie Popin' Cookin' Doughnut Candy Kit with me so we made our own mini desserts. I've made Panda Bento and Sushi Kit before. I stand by my promise of buying ALL variants I see once I visit Japan. Haha!

These are seriously so fun, and I envy Japanese kids for having toys/candies as cool as these. I mean, they're just sachets of powder and they end up looking like glorious donuts. Even the plastic wrapper is so functional - we folded it and it served as the donuts' box! The best part is, they tasted like donuts! :o

One cute part of our meetups as I've noticed is that we always bring a little something for each other without saying. Para kaming may untold exchange gift. Haha! Dawn sketched us portraits. (WOAH!) She's such an AMAZING artist. She managed to finish one face sketch in just 30 minutes. Kaloka. I couldn't even product one that nice even if you give me a day, as I don't have artsy cells. Tellie gave us cute lippies from Korea, which I am most excited to try and review! (Wine Lip Tint!!!) :D

Awarding Ceremony. HAHA

(Thank you so much, girls!)
 

I stayed at DeAntonni because they had a Dice Game event during the evening. I wasn't able to win the Angpao and GCs, but I was able to bring home a LOT of snacks. :P Since we finished really late, our friend decided to host an impromptu group sleepover at his house just nearby. I didn't even bring a toothbrush or any skincare product (talk about being unprepared), but it was fun. It was extra fun because I made a new friend named Paquito!

Paquito is the sweetest Golden Retriever I've ever met. He's even friendlier than the dogs at Barkin' Blends. He loves humans! When it was about time for us to go, he would tilt his head and extend his paws so we'd pet him again. Pano mo siya iiwan niyan? :P

That's all about my weekend. Right now, I'm still a bit distracted. I read a book yesterday, and it spoke to me, saying "We must learn to be a little patient; it's worth the wait." I'm waiting for an answer to something I'm really aiming for, but several opportunities popped up just yesterday which are both good and interesting but I'm not very sure about them yet. I'm not used to sharing about personal stuff on the blog, but I really need guidance, so please pray for me. :D

Love,

Helen

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Kracie Popin' Cookin Sushi Kit (DIY Japanese Candy!)

This Kracie Popin' Cookin Sushi Kit was a gift from a friend who went Japan. :D
 

I did another one last January using the Panda Bento Kit. Do backread, since that post was my first and is more detailed. :)

The back of the box has instructions in Japanese (uh oh!), but the illustrations were a very helpful guide. To be sure, I watched this popular and insanely helpful instructional video (with over 18M hits!) while making the "sushi". No photos of each step though, since I didn't want to touch my camera while rolling the candies on my hand. XD

The plastic packaging served as the plates of the sushi.
 

Can you imagine how these foil packs (with just powders inside) could turn into something as beautiful as these when mixed with water...

Don't worry, these actually just taste like sweet gummy candies. (Though I wouldn't mind had they tasted like real sushi; I love them!) On the day I finally set foot on Japan, I will hoard all variants of the Kracie Popin' Cookin' DIY candy kits! They're just too cute and too amazing!

Have you tried Kracie Popin' Cookin' DIY candy kits yet? :3

Love,
Helen
 

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DIY: Kracie Popin' Cookin' Bento (SO FUN!)

One productive afternoon, my Panda and I bonded over making a complete bento box...in candy form! :D

Say hello to our Cooking 105 experiment that isn't actual cooking. Haha! This one was a gift from our friend Raymond who came back from Japan for vacation. He told me that in Tokyo, Kracie Popin' Cookin' sets were widely available even in the supermarkets. But in another district (which I forgot), this was less common, and he found this being sold inside the toy section. Each box costs around P100.

 

All instructions were in Japanese, so we had to watch videos on Youtube on how to make these candies.

Initially I was puzzled on how to fold the foil pack into a bento box, but my Panda figured it out. I liked how the foil pack itself is useful - you use it to measure the panda's head and ears (left), cut and fold the bento box (center), and cut the pieces of foil to decorate the broccoli and chicken nuggets with (right).

I am so amazed how these powders (almost all in white) change color upon contact with water, and have varied textures. Imagine - the red one was a jelly candy, while the white one resembled actual cooked rice grains!

You just pour the powder into the designated slot and add water (as indicated graphically at the back of the box).

Most of them have to be mixed and set for 3 minutes (or more, if you like) before you remove them from the tray. No need for refrigeration.

But don't be fooled...it really is small and terribly cute.

Finished product! Too cute!!! :o Each candy had a sweet and distinct flavor. The onigiri tasted like yogurt candy, the broccoli tasted like apple candy, the chicken nuggets and pasta tasted like orange candy (but with different textures), and the red gummy octopus/sausage (?) was our favorite since it tasted like strawberry jelly candy! :D There are a lot of other sets available, but I feel that this Bento variant is super sulit since there is a lot of variety going on. But if I were to go to Japan, I think I would hoard ALL variants and maybe even sell some to you. HOHO :D

Have you tried Kracie Popin' Cookin' DIY Candy sets yet? :D

Love,
Helen

Let's keep in touch!
 

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Cooking 104: Mint Chocolate Forest Cheesecake using Jell-O!

Last weekend, I miraculously has the luxury of time to bake (a no bake) cheesecake. Haha! I am a newbie inside the kitchen, so let's start with the easy one first.

 

To make a no bake cheesecake, you will need the following:

• 1 box of Jell-O No Bake Real Cheesecake Dessert
• For the crust:
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 stick butter
• For the filling:
• 1.5 cups cold milk

Instructions:

Warning: Don't believe in box as it said I needed a 9-inch pie plate. The mixture is not enough to cover 9-inches...and I ended up with a cheesecake that looked like a giant cookie. LOL! Make it 6-inches or less!

Ingredients:

Inside the box:

Never knew that these 2 pouches would turn to a decadent dessert. ♥ Just follow EASY the instructions in the box and you'll be fine. Trust me. I can't even cook to save my life.

Step 1: Crust Mix

- I combined this crust mix with 1/4 stick butter and 2 tbsp brown sugar inside the steel baking pan and pressed it at the base of the pan until it felt firm. It smells like butter cookies!

Step2: Filling Mix

- I combined 1.5 cups cold milk with this filling mix. Initially, the filling mix looks really white (which made me sad since it looked more like flour and confection sugar). When it comes contact with milk, it turns to a yellowish cheesecake shade like magic! Beat it based on the instructions on the box, 30 seconds low speed, then 3 minutes medium speed. The filling will be thick by then, and you'll spoon this on top of the crust.

DONE! Place in the fridge for 1 hour, and serve! :3

And because I wanted to improve the recipe and make it my own, I decided to shave Cadbury mint chocolate into the filling (before it went under the batter), and as topping. It's lovely!

The Jell-O had a softer texture compared to actual baked ones. The chocolate added a delicious minty touch to it!

This is our Cooking 104 session: Mint Chocolate Forest Cheesecake! Thanks for helping me prep the stuff I needed, Panda and Desi! :D

Love,

Helen

Simple Eyeglasses Hack (No More Sliding Off Your Face!)

I need my glasses now more than ever. The thing is, I bought my specs almost 2 years ago. It's still good as new since I get too lazy and conveniently "forget" to wear it. The reason why I don't like wearing it is because I hate that it always slides down my nose bridge. Hassle to always adjust it upwards! I've always blamed it on my oily skin, but now I've discovered a hack that made my glasses sit prettily on my face all day without traveling down my nose! :D

I know you could have your glasses adjusted so they won't fall off your face. I did that as well, but to no avail. Then one day, I saw an article in cosmo.ph that revealed to me that all I needed were 2 hair ties!

I searched for some at home and I found 2 slim black hair ties. (These ones have a metal end, but the one's without are better.) Just tie them around the curve near the end of the glasses - the part that rests behind your ear.

Yes, this is probably the first working girl selfie I took.

It's not visible when worn since the hair ties are behind my ears. This one really works, and I even tried it on my little sister's glasses. Try it! :D

Love,

Helen

[CLOSED] Something Cute: Colorname + GIVEAWAY!

Today, I'll be sharing with you a little "art project" - DIY personalized mobile phone charms with the help of Colorname! (I'll also be giving away 1 set each to my 2 awesomely lucky readers, so read on!)

Colorname is a Taiwanese brand that has just recently hit Philippine shores, thanks to our friends from Q.T Gifts and Accessories. It's a DIY unique phone accessory which you can use to customize your phone with your name (or any other words you can think of)!

With Colorname, you can make your own unique accessory in 4 super easy steps: Plug in, Lock, End, Finish!

What I have here with me is the Colorname Large Box (P390.00), and it contains the following:

• 52 letters set (2 pcs. per letter)
• 2 ear caps
• 1 Swarovski diamond
• 1 smile, heart, and ribbon

My set comes with 2 anti-dust ear caps (which can fit mobile phones and tablet PCs with standard 3.5mm earphone jack), 1 cell phone strap, and 1 key ring.

It's so easy to use as well. Just pick an ear cap where you'll be plugging the letters in, lock the letters together, end using any charm or stopper, and it's finished! Now, this is too cute! My sisters (with ages ranging from 30 to 12!) all found this cute, so I bet your girl friends, sisters, and nieces would love this as well. :D

My Colorname statement is Lucky Citrine! What's yours?

Colorname comes in 2 sets:

Colorname Large Box (P390.00)

• 52 letters set (2 pcs. per letter)
• 2 ear caps
• 1 Swarovski Diamond
• 1 smile, heart, and ribbon

Colorname Small Box (P225.00)

• 26 letters (1 pc. per letter)
• 1 ear cap
• 1 Swarovski diamond
• 1 smile, heart, and ribbon

Colorname is available in selected Bratpack and Hobbes&Landes stores nationwide. For complete store list, click here.

Now, time for a giveaway! Lucky Citrine and Q.T Gifts and Accessories are giving away 2 sets of Colorname (small boxes) to 2 lucky readers!

Reminder: The 1st 4 steps you can see in the Rafflecopter widget are MANDATORY. You have to like both pages, share at Facebook, and leave a blog post comment to make your entry valid. (Come on, it's easy!) :D

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Sample:

Reminders:
1. Giveaway is open to local readers (Philippines).
2. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
3. One winner with the best answer will be picked by Lucky Citrine and Q.T. Gifts and Accessories, and one winner will be picked randomly among all valid entries.
4. Winners will be notified via blog post and will have 7 days to respond, otherwise another winner will be picked.
5. Giveaway is from July 7, 2013 to July 31, 2013.
6. Prizes will be shipped for free by Q.T. Gifts and Accessories.

Good luck! ;)

Love,

Helen

PS. Special thanks to Q.T Gifts and Accessories for sponsoring this giveaway.