Superstar Lashes at Stylash Trinoma

Because I missed my guilty pleasure (AKA eyelash extensions), I revisited my favorite eyelash extension salon after over a year of lash rest. What can I do, I miss feeling pretty effortlessly. Haha :D This time around, I went to their Landmark Trinoma branch, because it's the most accessible for me at the moment. You may backread ALL my Stylash reviews here.
 

Stylash Landmark Trinoma is hard to find! If I didn't ask the guard where it was, I would have roamed endlessly. It's located at the Beauty Lounge. I like the location though, as it's private and quiet.

Lash Growth Cycle & Lash Extension Aftercare (muy importante!)

Our eyelash has a growth cycle every 2-3 weeks, so fallouts are normal (but not desired). You can get a retouch though for as low as P300. Do take note of the dos and don'ts when you get your lash extensions.

Stylash Services

Here, you can choose how many strands, the style, length, shape, and thickness. So there's no generic look as you can customize it to your liking. They recommended me the 10mm length but I insisted on the shortest 8mm strands because I wear glasses everyday. (I am so happy with the result! I can't wait to show you!) They also have brow services and packages to give more bang for your buck. But the most interesting thing I found out was that Stylash now offers Cosmetic Artistry AKA brow and eyeliner tattoos! These are by appointment only, and the prices are definitely lower than their competitors.

Stylash makes use of 100% mink eyelashes and they feel so light, I forget they're there, so I ALMOST rubbed my eyes when I got home that day. Buti nalang almost lang! Their lash menu looks kawawa, they need to change this. Hehe! I found out with this that their colored mink lashes have a softer feel, but I want mine in black all the time.

Stylash Trinoma has a modern ambiance. I like how classy it looks. They have 6 of these beds, and they're very comfy!

Pretty wall :)

Before & After

Superstar | Style: Posh | Length: 8mm | Shape: C-shaped | Thickness: 0.15mm

If you have virtually no lashes like me, don't be afraid to choose the shortest and slimmest lash variant they have. The end result: it will still show and it looks more natural. I do not recommend the 10mm and 12mm length if you're wearing glasses. The lash extensions will keep on hitting your glasses, and they might fall out earlier.

Somehow, they look real and my friend couldn't point out what was different with my face the night I had this done.

And because I washed my face prior to the procedure, I can legitly use the hashtag #NoMakeup here! Well, my brows are tattooed and my pretty lashes give off an instant mascara and eyeliner vibe. I LOVE IT. This review is not sponsored, by the way!

I'm giving this a 3-week lifespan as I've usually experienced before, but I'll definitely update you guys! (I do hope it lasts longer!)

The price of Superstar lashes is originally P1,200 but it's currently on sale at 50% off until July 31 -> P600 (GO HAVE YOURS DONE!) Jessica did my lashes! :)

Facebook: Stylash Eyelash Salon

Instagram: @stylashmanila

Love,
Helen
 

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26th Birthday

My birthday was over a month ago, and I really meant to do this post earlier, but here goes! I just turned 26. Do I feel any different? Not really. Well, I do feel signs of aging like getting tired easily. LOL! But aside from that, I feel like I'm in the best time of my life. I'll just recount the blessings I've received, so many years from now, I can backread and remember what I did and what I had for my birthday. How OC of me to document it all! :D

My Panda and I share the same birth month, and since we're part of Yabu's VIP List, they treated us both to a free katsu sets to celebrate! We both love Japanese food. :3

Cream Dory Katsu Set

Rosu Katsu Set

That was an amazing start of the month! (Thanks, Yabu!)

On the day of my birthday, my Panda surprised me early in the morning with the loveliest, most precious cake ever. He has a shot me with a "just woke up, no kilay, no makeup at all, in all pambahay glory" look holding this cake, but that one is private. Haha!

It's the first time someone ever baked me a cake, so this one is very special. He made it from scratch - cake flour and all! :o In case you're wondering, the green ones are bamboo, and the brown ones are paw prints and stones.

My birthday felt a lot like Valentine's Day. The mums were unbelievable strong - they lasted over a week inside my room! Other flowers would wilt in 3 days tops. We share the same love for anything with peppermint in it, hence the chocolates. And the cylinder you see at the back is a pretty purple yoga mat, for my ab workout at home. (Yes, I'm getting fat.)

For lunch, we drove all the way to Vikings at MOA, even if there's one at SM North. Everyone was saying it's better there, and so we went. You get to eat for free if it's your birthday! :D Initially, we were seated on a dark corner, so a mosquito feasted on my legs minutes within getting seated, but the kind manager Allan made up for it by getting us a nicer spot, and went the extra mile serving us tea, asking us how the food was, and cleared our plates (even if he didn't have to). And I didn't get dengue so all is well. Haha! The food selection was good, and we'd go back for special occasions.

Rustic Chocolate Torte by Purple Oven

For dinner, my family had dinner at Nomnomnom Happy Food at Tomas Morato. I chose this restaurant since I wanted a healthier restaurant for my Dad who had food restrictions. Wrong move though; the food wasn't bad, it was just okay but kind of pricey. The dishes didn't blow us away, and the serving size for some were small. The final thing that ticked me off was when we asked them to bring out the cakes, and the waitress told me I'll be charged P80 for corkage - even if I spent over P3,000+ to treat my family, even if it was my birthday. (No photo because I was pissed and they totally killed the mood.)

Verdict: Never going back. Ever. The owner was nice enough to invite me to a free lunch or dinner, but I don't like special treatment just because I'm a blogger. I want to experience a restaurant for what it really is.

We went home instead to slice the cakes. This one is from my friend Tope of #TopeTravelandTours. (Purple Oven FTW!)

The next photos were the other gifts I received.

Meiji chocolates from my boss

Terranova Floral Clutch from my friend, Kyra

Landmark Linens from my sister, Cindy

This one has a deep purple color; my camera went loco hence this shade of bright purple. I have yet to wash this, but I've never been this excited to change my sheets. LOL

My birthday gift for myself is a Lenovo laptop. This one's a good investment; I bought it with the main purpose of blogging. You see, my posts decreased in quantity this year since I was dealing with a faulty computer at home which would turn off mid-upload or as I'm doing my posts, which made me lose motivation. Now, I don't have to settle for a bulok computer, since I have a sleek, sexy, and precious laptop! Unboxing post soon, yes? 

At church, my small group family Tuesday Diversity surprised the August celebrants with cake, too! :3

Last but not the least are these rainbows I saw just last Friday morning as I was going to work. The brighter one is the biggest and closest I've seen in my life. So beautiful! It's like God telling me, "Everything's gonna be alright." At this moment, I was thankful for my gift of sight.

So those basically sums up my day. I have yet to reply to the greetings on my FB timeline though. Help... Haha :D Thanks to all who remembered! :3

Love,

Helen

Landmark Haul (Again!)

And again, I came from my happy place with an unexpected mini-haul. Landmark Trinoma is on sale once more, until May 16, 2014.

Landmark Haul

Nivea Sun Protect & Refresh Invisible Cooling Mist SPF 50 (P539.75 -> P269.88)

Nivea is on crazy sale everywhere, until May 18, 2014. All items at 50% off! I checked the expiry, but the stocks are new stocks and not near expiry as I suspected. Hehe! I resisted the temptation of lotions and lip balms (because I have a lot of sealed ones in my stash for review), but this one I had to get. I brought this along to my first hiking trip and didn't get sunburned at all.

As for the rest of Landmark, almost everything is at 10% off, such as the ones I got below:

Healthy Box (P19.75)

This one's just a pill case, but it's so cute since its shape reminds me of Bubble Tape.

Kinepin Eyeline & Eyelid Sticker (P34.75)

My sad, hooded eyelids have met their match. Say hello to these eyeliner stickers, each pack contains 72 pairs. It looks like real (normal) eyeliner when worn, but it will NEVER smudge. I was so happy, I bought 5 more packs the next day as backup. Talk about hoarding.

Flat Top Brush (P149.75)

After weeks/months of being out of stock, finally I saw this again and bought a backup of my favorite makeup brush. This one works so well with mineral makeup, and I'm planning to use my Ellana Loose Mineral Powder Foundation long term, so at least now I have a backup. The next day I went back to check, 5 stocks were left. They fly so fast! :o

Any hauls you've gotten lately? ;)

Love,

Helen

Amazing Find: Flat Top Brush from Landmark

Today, I'll share with you my favorite makeup brush as of the moment. I love it so much, I want to buy a backup for when (1) it goes on sale or (2) when I go to the mall again, whichever comes first! :D

Flat Top Brush from Landmark

When I attended the Ellana event, the owner let me try their products using a flat top brush. I was willing to buy the same brush right then and there, since it was so awesome in picking up the pigments of mineral makeup, but unfortunately the brush has been discontinued and is already out of stock!

My mini-heartbreak led me to Landmark in Trinoma, and so I bought this one instead! It's not the Artist Studio brush everyone's raving about. This one has no brand, but that doesn't stop me from loving it just the same.

This brush has very soft bristles, and the density is just right. It does not bleed or shed when you wash it.

I actually love using this with either loose or pressed powder makeup. It buffs the product well into my skin, and produces a soft finish every time. ♥

Price: P139.75

Available at Landmark Trinoma and Makati

Do you also get your brushes from Landmark? :D

Love,

Helen

Easy Eyebrow Tutorial (Using Brown Eyeshadow)

During one of my bathroom breaks at the office, my colleague and I spent countless minutes of discussing our eyebrow dilemma: how to fill in the brows. That talk actually inspired me to do this post!

For this, you'll only need 2 things: a matte brown eyeshadow and an angled eyebrow brush. I was able to get my brush at Landmark Department Store for just P40.00, while the chocolate brown shadow I used was from The Body Shop 4-Step Smoky Eyes Palette in Golden Brown. I've had this palette for 2 years already, and I've been using the chocolate brown shadow every single day since I got it. Still, it has no signs of hitting the pan anytime soon!

See the photos below as guide:

I have very sparse brows, so I find eyebrow powder more natural-looking compared to eyebrow pencil (which has the tendency to look harsh).

With | Without

I can leave home without makeup, but applying sunblock on my face and filling in my brows are the things I won't ever skip. Groomed brows makes me looked more polished instantly, even if the rest of my face is bare.

I hope this tutorial helps. Feel free to share with me your brow grooming tips below! :)

Love,

Helen

Super Steal: Hair Velcro Clips from Landmark

I was walking around Landmark Trinoma's department store with I chanced upon this pack of hair velcro clips.

Though this wasn't really on my shopping list, I can bear to put it back on the shelf since it's dirt cheap and I know I will use this whenever I put on makeup and have to push my bangs to the side with a clip without "deforming" my bangs.

It's actually just a simple one, not like the ones that really look like bows, but it works so I'm good with it.

This pack containing 12 pieces of hair velcro clips is just P19.75! Where else can you find that?

Love,

Helen

KitKat Green Tea - Now in Landmark Supermarket!

I have some OMG news for you! I was able to buy this pack of KitKat Green Tea at Landmark Supermarket in Trinoma last Sunday! :D

KitKat Green Tea 12's

Inside are 12 of these mini green tea goodness ♥

My sister was able to buy this same pack at a supermarket in Hong Kong for about P160.00. Here it's P258.50, and I think the price is just right.

This one's located in Aisle 20 where the imported goods are, not the usual chocolate aisle. The day I bought it, I saw only 3 packs left on the shelf. Stocks run out so fast! But at least, you don't have to buy overpriced packs of this online (at about P300.00+) or at Greenhills (at about P700.00+). This is the cheapest price of KitKat Green Tea I've come across so far (here in the Philippines).

Like this? Spread the good news! :D

Love,

Helen

Retractable Makeup Brush from Landmark

I am very fond of the makeup brushes in Landmark. I first got hold of my Jenny powder/blush brush (P139.75) way back in 2011, and I am still using it until now. It's still soft, fluffy, and never scratchy. Then when I needed a more compact brush I can bring around for touchups, I got a vegan retractable makeup brush (P89.75) last year, similar to what Suesh sells for P550.00! This one is less dense, hence is best used just for blush. I think that even cheap (but soft) makeup brushes as these can lasts for years with proper care.

Retractable Makeup Brush from Landmark (P139.75)

My new purchase would have to be my favorite. It's a shiny black retractable makeup brush that's so soft, thick, and dense. It's perfect for powder or blush application. Since it's sturdy and retractable, I can bring it anywhere without fear of it getting ruined or dirty in my bag. I actually like it more than my previous retractable brush because this one is more fluffy but still compact.

If you liked this, make sure to buy ASAP, as stocks do run out fast, and it takes a long time before it becomes available again. This is the very reason why I bought it even if I didn't really need a new makeup brush. I just couldn't resist.

Do you also buy makeup brushes from Landmark? Which one is your favorite?

Love,

Helen

Haul: Landmark | Penshoppe | Bayo

If you take a peek into my closet, you'd see lots of black clothes - LBDs, skirts, pants, and tops. I know I should add more pops of color into my clothes, but whenever I go shopping, I get attracted to black clothes because they look classier, effortlessly stylish, and they make me look fairer. :D I'll share with you some stuff I got from Landmark, Penshoppe, and Bayo.

For current fashion trends (which you aren't sure will last through seasons or years) like peplums and corsets, I think it's okay to go for affordable pieces, since I think they're fun additions to one's closet. Whenever I find a dress that fits me perfectly, I'd buy it, even if it were from the bazaar or from a high-end brand. Luckily, I got mine for cheap at Landmark!

Landmark Peplum Dress

This is the first peplum dress I found that fitted me perfectly, despite it being free-sized. It's actually a one-piece dress, with the striped skirt attached to the peplum top. Since it's short, I like that I can layer another skirt over it to change the look of the dress.

Landmark Polka Dot Corset

I've been searching for a corset that would fit me (meaning it's not too loose), and I can't believe that I found lots of them in Landmark! I love the convenience of corsets - it adds shape (and curves) to your body, plus there's no need for a separate bra since it's already built into the top.

Oxblood Skinny Jeans from Penshoppe

To add life to my closet, I got this pair of oxblood skinny jeans from Penshoppe. I'm currently loving their "Fling" Skinny Jeans line - it's low rise, regular hipster, low-waist, with tapered leg openings. Plus, only their Fling line's smallest size (25 inches) fits me PERFECTLY; jeans from their other styles are too loose for me, so this one becomes my favorite by default. Looks like I'll be visiting Penshoppe more often to be on the lookout for the newest styles from their Fling line.

I love how this color adds a special touch to my plain and neutral colored tops - just like my corset (above) and my shirt (below).

Gray V-Neck Shirt and Black High-Waisted Shorts from Bayo

I personally think Bayo's sizing is too big, even most of their clothes in XS are loose for me. But then, I found these comfy basics and just had to get them. I love this soft, super comfy body skimming (not fitting) gray v-neck shirt and I wish I had gotten it in other colors, but the choices were kind of limited too - no brights, just black, white, and blue (if I remember it correctly). The black high-waist shorts I kind of regret getting, since I still need a belt for it to "stay" on my waist.

Hair Clip from Landmark

Lastly, I grabbed this matte brown clip from Landmark. This also comes in other bright colors with glossy finish, but I'm after a timeless look, so I got one in brown to match my colored hair. Clips like this one are actually the secret to my wavy hair. Nah! My hair is just really wavy/curly, but what I do is that I clip my hair into a bun during my morning commute, so I won't end up with smelly, mahangin ba sa labas? hair. Upon reaching my workplace, I head to the restroom and unravel my still-damp hair, and just let it air dry while working. I don't comb it, and it almost always ends up with a curly finish, which I love. I used to hate my waves and always fought it by rebonding and ironing it straight, but not anymore.

Looks like I got carried away with the clip and hair story. Haha! To my wavy-haired readers, embrace your curls! I hope you all liked my simple haul. ;) 

Love,

Helen