"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us."
-Unknown

Friday 26 July 2013

Raisie Goes A Travelin'-What's A Packin'?

How do you like the new look? Can you believe that J designed this for me? He does have a girly-girl side to him after all, he knows that I like a cleaner approach, the past one was just a result of tweaking and personal effort here and there.

I will be leaving with my folks tomorrow, so I won't be doing regular updates here for a week. Right now I am packing (and still have time to post-lol). The trip consists mostly of plane ride, boat ride, road trip, visiting people and more celebrations. Hey, it's family.

So now that I am a travelin, here's what I'm a packin'...


Even if I am travelling light, these deserve a place in my bag! 

I got the following from Sample Room
  • Gluta C Intense Whitening Body Lotion
  • Physiogel Cleanser
These are the ones from my July BDJ Box:
  • Beach Hut Spray Sunblock
  • Too Cool for School BB Cream Travel Size 
  • Dove Damage Therapy Shampoo
  • Dove White Beauty Bar
  • Dove Whitening Original Deodorant
And my trustee Human Nature Hydrating Lipsticks in Lucky in Love and First Kiss. 

Who would have thought my BDJ box would arrive at good timing? I could also test the Too Cool For School BB Cream and the Beach Hut Sunblock since there are plans of swimming and lazing around.

Could you guess where I am headed? Have a fantastic weekend, dear friends! You can still join my Firmoo giveaway here



Thursday 25 July 2013

Beauty Review: San San Nail Polish Touch of Tan + Exam and Job Interview Nails


Sometimes neutrals can be refreshing. The reason why I went to look for neutral nail polishes was because I needed something calm when I went around submitting resumes and taking exams. See, it's not only justifiable to have these but it is also a good move if you will. Now on to what I think about these nail polishes. 

San San Nail Polish Colorless

Pros
  • It can be used as a top coat and base coat, making it really versatile. 
  • It is also quick-drying which is a big plus for me and it acts as a nail hardener.
  • Can you believe that you can get a dual purpose product for only Php 37?
  • The bottle is durable and I like the simple but effective packaging.
Cons
  • It bothers me that it smells strongly of alcohol.
  • Also, 2-3 coats are needed to prevent chipping. 

San San Nail Polish Touch of Tan 

Pros

  • This is another smooth-gliding lacquer and the shade is refreshing and really appropriate for conservative working environments
  • Again only at Php 37, it's affordable!

Cons

  • Smells strongly of alcohol too. 
  • Needs 2 coats at least for decent color. 


But overall, I am really fond of the color and I still have it on even if it is already more than a week. I will be confident wearing this shade without any supervisor commenting that "the nail polish is too loud". Ok, I did watch that episode of Be Careful With My Heart. 

In addition, this is also the shade that I put on during one of the exams I took last week. It does feel good to have non-distracting nails during a pencil and paper test again. Makes me feel like a freshman in college! 


Now that I am packing up for a trip with the family, I have to choose for a fun nail polish. I have over thirty colors already, so which one should I choose? Do you have any suggestions? 



Wednesday 24 July 2013

Confessions of a Bibliophile: The Dirty Lil Secret Is Out!

Yeah from what you see here, I am letting you in on a little secret....


Yeah, reading The Great Gatsby and still have To Kill A Mockingbird on queue. 

I do read in the toilet! 

Ok, the truth is- this is my entry for a photo contest from a few months before to Book Depository's theme: Places Where You Read. So what would lead me to post a wacky photo of myself online? A whole library of Lord of The Rings nonetheless...

Alright, so if you are a bibliophile, you could more or less do crazy things for books.

How about you?What are the things you are willing to do for books? Let's have a fun discussion below! 

Monday 22 July 2013

Post Exam Mini Haul

Over the weekend, I prepared myself for an exam which took the whole day. Admittedly, exams can be stressful and it could drain the energy of an examinee especially if it is a battery of tests. But I am still glad that I have supportive people surrounding me.

This is what a really thoughtful person gave me- a mini haul to reward myself after a rainy day filled with IQ questions and Psychological testing.


Paganini Makeup Brush Travel Size 
Bobbie Nail Polish in Cherry Blossom 
Bobbie Magnet-ficent Nail Polish

I really enjoy finding and testing affordable beauty items without having to spend a ridiculous amount of money. And when I say affordable, the brush set contains the essentials and costs only Php 65, Bobbie Nail Polish in Cherry Blossom Php 30, and then Bobbie Magnet-ficent Nail Polish for another Php 35. Total damage is only Php 130. 

I'm pretty proud with this mini haul. Not only is this super affordable, it is also a thoughtful gift from someone really special to me. 

 


Can you believe that the lesser known, MiC brush set is more expensive that this Paganini makeup brush travel sized set? I'm glad that the helpful lady was able to point this out as a third option when I was surveying the brushes. 


This is a shade I haven't tried yet. Tried it on J's middle finger last night, though it looks good in the evening, even cute. But when the morning light comes in, I have to sort of re-evaluate if this is a vacation-wise shade. 


Alright, this does not have a shade name, just a code and number. It has a brown-coffee shade that I like that's similar to Gingerbread. I did not succeed in making the magnet pattern but I could give it another try.

So that's about it for my mini haul. What did you do this weekend? You can still join my Firmoo giveaway here and win free spectacles from the classic series! Have a good day! =D 



Sunday 21 July 2013

Unboxing BDJ Box July- A Whole Lot Of Pampering Goodness!

My July BDJ Box arrived and you can just imagine my sister and I's excitement as we learned that the box was arriving. Before that, I already knew what the contents were because some gals were already posting photos online of their unboxing but we still had fun. My Sis even assisted me with the unboxing photos.


This is the whole package which looks so compact, but don't let the small size fool you because...



It's got a whole lot of Dove love and the usual treats from BDJ Box. Not bad for the month of July right? 

It's my first time to receive a BDJ Box, which was supposed to be a belated birthday present. Since all of the June slots were already sold out, I was able to get a slot for July. This month's theme is all about Head to Toe Pampering, and BDJ sure knows how to reward hardworking girls in the middle of the year.

When I first heard about the Top to Toe Pampering theme, I prepared myself for spa products, but now that I see all the Dove goodies and even added makeup, I think it's still more than enough to have a full body pampering experience.


Now look at this love from Dove, (fun rhyming!) there are all full-sized products that is enough to make me feel pampered. I'm a long time Dove user so this has just saved me at least a thousand bucks in my body care supply! Even Mommy is impressed... =D 

For this month, the BDJ team prepared a buffet of Dove pampering. Here, there is just not one but two bottles each of full-sized hair care for the crowning glory. There is the Dove Damage Therapy Intense Repair Shampoo 180 ml (2 bottles) and the Dove Damage Therapy Intense Repair Conditioner 180 ml (2 bottles). For the body, this will be handy for me as I travel at the end of this month, so I should be sure to pack the Dove White Beauty Bar Moisturizing Milk 135g. 


And for the BDJ Box itself, it's still oozing with sweetness and goodness, not to mention the most interesting stuff I have ever had my hands on... The color palettes in here are just what I need!
  



So what am I looking forward to with this month's beauty products? I am no stranger to Dove, and I am a big fan of the Energizing line because of its squeaky, clean scent for bath bar and deodorant. But receiving a super-generous line of eight full-sized products can just simply make anyone's day, and I have to say I can't wait to try the Dove Damage Therapy Intense Repair Treatment Mask 200 ml. I still have a small bottle of the Intense Repair Shampoo in the bathroom right now even as we speak and this could help me with my hair fall issues.


Another Dove full-sized product that I am excited to try is the Dove Whitening Original Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Aerosol 169 ml. I have been using the stick and roll-on for many years now, so using a spray deo is a first for me. At least I don't have to worry because Dove is gentle on my skin-even my underarms.


Now from the July BDJ Box itself, it's a treat that I am glad not to have missed. This box really caught my attention. I can't wait to try the Enchanted Eyeshadow and I got the Pixie Dust Shimmer Eye Palette Nude Eyes. 


 I like that this palette I received consists of neutrals which is really wearable for me. This only means that the team pays attention to my beauty profile and personal preferences since wearing anything too loud is not appropriate for a corporate environment. The super-tiny-sparkly formulation makes me feel like I am staring at real pixie dust! =p

Another plus is the usable applicator. I say usable because I have other eyeshadow palettes that promise good color but kind of fall back on the applicator since I don't really like to bring around a long eyeshadow brush in the bag.


Another sweet treat I like is the Too Cool for School BB Cream  from the BDJ Box. Lunch Box is a Korean Brand and they gave me the travel size tube. This is just perfect for an upcoming trip next week to visit relatives. So yeah, this is a keeper.


I really think the packaging is cute and clever. 


Well it was my sister who announced dibs on this one. She is a regular user of Revlon lippies but to tell you honestly, this is my first time to own a Revlon lipstick of my own. The usual brands that I have come to know are Mary Kay, Human Nature and Maybelline. But now, I have an added shade and I think I can experiment with this. 


I have heard of many positive reviews about Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter, as for the shade I got, it's in Raspberry Pie. It's a deep maroon pink shade. I haven't swatched it yet so let's see if it suits my skin tone. 


So far, these are the highlights of the whole July BDJ Box. There are still a lot of products in here like the Beach Hut Sunblock, Foot Appeal Mask, and the Sure Slim Voucher.




All in all, I think this is a great box, not to mention it is practical and there are a lot of good items putting the total estimated amount to over Php 4, 070. Whew. Just looking at that amount gives me a proud feeling. It's a good box, if not excellent. It makes me curious as to what's next. All the August boxes are already sold out but the September boxes are open for reservations.

It's tempting, I know. But I am more than satisfied with this month's box and receiving a July BDJ Box simply strengthens my interest that I could gift a similar one to a very special woman come October this year.


The BDJ Box team deserves a pat on the back for the job well done they have made. From the friendly responses I get in Twitter from their official account, to the carefully selected products that they offer, I am tempted to continue a subscription for more months to come. 


See how quick they are to respond to a simple question? 


So are you a Dove user too? Have you subscribed to any sampling boxes so far? What are your thoughts? 

If you haven't joined my Firmoo giveaway yet, you can check it out here. I hope you had a good weekend! =D