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

Wednesday 7 May 2014

My Summer Picks for May 2014

To tell you the truth, I'm preparing myself for something big next month. This week alone, I've been blogging less and helping more clients with writing needs. I've also had to go to meetings to gather details and facts for my reports. But when I am sitting in front of the laptop and pushing keys one by one, I feel accomplished and closer to my goals. May is a very special month for me, and I can definitely feel change coming. 

Stalking online shops just made me realize that there are two things that have been constant on my wishlist, and that's shoes and bags.

OMOSHI Carry Label Messenger Bag from Okay Okay.com Php 699

I feel like this messenger bag will be useful for a personal birthday gift that will be arriving this month. I can easily throw in books, notebooks, pens and other necessary gadgets in here. 

Venice Never Full Bag from Paris Dreams Shoppe Php 650

I certainly like quilted tote bags in neutral colours and the Venice Never Full Bag sure can match my neutral flats. I like to use bags that can carry my wallet, phone, pocket Wi-Fi and other personal stuff. The thing about bags is that I stick to only one whenever I have errands to do in town.

Suelas Puntera Basic in Grey Php 500
Suelas Couro in White-Black Php 700
I've been searching for comfortable footwear and found these from Suelas. I like everything classic and minimalist so I guess it shows in my selection. I've already submitted a form and am currently waiting for a reply.

So what does that say about my style? I think it's all about clean lines, functional neutrals and comfort. I do have a weakness for florals but that can come at another time because I've used and abused them enough I think. I don't also want to bore you with my choices of makeup and tools. I'm a die-hard fan of Urban Decay so you pretty know where this is heading. =)

How's your Wednesday? Share!

Thursday 1 May 2014

On Fragrances: Zen Zest Cabinet Deodorizer and Anti-Mosquito Room Fragrances



Whoa it's May! I didn't even notice... May is quite a special month for me. It means new beginnings and I can't wait to do my religious ritual on the 13th. But I'll elaborate on that later. In the meantime, let me introduce you to new spritzes and new lovable scents. 

Whoever thought of this is brilliant! In this case, it's fragrance connoisseur Zen Zest. I’ve been searching for ideas for my monthly On Fragrances feature and Sample Room lays it right on my lap.

Fragrances for your room? Why not? It’s your personal space in your home and it’s one place where you should feel revitalized and refreshed. 


Zen Zest brings forth two rejuvenating scents for one’s personal spaces. For only 20 points each, I got to try the Cabinet Deodorizer and Anti-Mosquito Room Fragrance. It’s just the perfect end-notes to spring clean!


The Cabinet Deodorizer in Iris Peony and Fresia Blossom is just lovely. It's an all-around deodorizer and every time I open my closet, the fragrance is so refreshing. It lasts for at least three days.I'm impressed with the way it neutralizes bad odors, I feel calm too knowing that because of the sweet, light scent from the Iris Peony in this mixture.
 

For the Anti-Mosquito Spray, it's a mixture of Citronella, Lemongrass and Eucalyptus. Unlike the other insect repellants making use of the Citronella and Lemongrass combination that I've tried, the addition of Eucalyptus in this concoction adds just the right minty fragrance. It's just the right balance and the Eucalyptus floats above the other two scents making it more of a minty insect repellant. Looking for added bonus? You don't have to apply it onto the skin. I like that it's safe to spray in most corners of the house as well.

The only downside? I wish the full-sized bottles were made available, because this is such a luxury item at a very affordable price! I think I'm lucky to be able to have availed of the Limited Edition scents. 

For now, I'll be spritzing away until my next post.

What are your discoveries for the month of May? Any resolutions you would want to share with me?

Thursday 24 April 2014

I Want To Be A Part of Sample Room’s Bloggers Circle (2014 Edition)



 

Just typing that title makes me feel like I’m in a reality show for bloggers. But in the blogosphere, things are done a bit unorthodox, and it’s what makes being on the plane a whole lot of fun and the whole blogging experience is rather innovative. 

I’ve been a Roomie since 2012 and have been looking out for new samples to try in Sample Room since started my blog and have been rewarded with the initial 100 points when the platform first launched. Being a Roomie means keeping an eye out for new samples, making sure there are enough points in the account to purchase new samples (especially the full-sized ones), paying the shipping fee and practicing extreme patience while waiting for the order to arrive. Of course, once I’ve had my fill and decided on a yes or no for the products, I write down my review and get rewarded my points back. There are also fun contests being held across social media sites and occasional goodie bags. 


Now let’s tackle why I want to be a part of Sample Room’s Bloggers Circle for this year. Most of those in the beauty blogging world would agree that being a Roomie is pretty convenient and addictive. It gives its members the chance to try out new products for free. I feel that being a Partner Blogger would be quite the privilege, and being a blogger from the south, I can introduce the concept of trying before buying to interested women especially among small town bloggers like myself. 

I keep coming back to Sample Room to find new products that can help me with my skin problems like discoloration, acne, sun care and protection and just about anything else that’s creating waves in the beauty world. The site also introduces useful tools for beauty enthusiasts of various degrees and it’s just about time that more women get to discover for themselves the clever system of Sample Room. 

Sample Room opens doors for women who want to discover what’s out there that deserve the slice of their budget. Women owe it to themselves to decide first if the products that they encounter are worth it, saving time and money in the process.

So do I deserve to be a part of the Bloggers Circle for this year? If it were a reality show, will I make the cut? Only the beautiful people at the SR team get to decide. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Saturday 12 April 2014

Unboxing: Skin Food Exclusive by Saladbox March 2014

Saladbox's March 2014 offering is a Skin Food box

This box was sent to my old shipping address and I had to pick it up from my auntie's house thinking that it was the stationery (I have a weakness for stationery but I'll discuss more of that later.) It's supposed to be my third box, my December slot was moved to March, and even though I have not received my Clou manicure set as promised way back when I was supposed to receive it in the first box, Saladbox's social media representative told me that it will be sent separately. (I'll update this post once I have received it.)

So what's inside the Skin Food box?

March 2014 is all about Beauty Recipes and the Skin Food partnership hints about the selection
Sitting at the bottom of the box is Skin Food's Black Sugar Perfect First Serum. Don't be fooled, the brown paper bag is meant to contain the sampler and the cotton pads on the left, so yep, it's empty and just cushioned the items on top. How does it apply to me, I really am clueless about how to use it. The instructions on the label are all in Korean and the back of the curation card is hardly helpful. Ask everybody's best friend-Google, apparently many beauty bloggers have already written about the Black Sugar Serum and most of them are raving about it. Perhaps this will help me with my problematic forehead?



The Watery Berry gift set is a travel sized pair of toner and emulsion. I still have my regular freshener and moisturizer, this could do for some backup or when traveling. They have a mild fragrance and seem to be gentle. 


I believe the highlight of the whole box is the Black Pomegranate Premium Kit.  Two counts so far for a toner and emulsion-there's also a cream and voluming serum. I have no idea how to use this and the instructions at the back of the box are again in Korean, so I will once again turn to Google.
 

Just a few personal rants and what I think of the whole box in general:

  • The contents of the box are repetitious, it would have been helpful if there were a mixture of tools or cosmetics and not just skin care
  • Speaking of skin care, I have no idea if these products are for oily, combination, dry or aging skin, the labels are all in Korean, if they curated the contents of this box according to my profile, it should be for oily but I have no way of knowing
  • It's supposed to be the March box, I received it on the second week of April  
The idea of teaming up with an award-winning and innovative brand like Skin Food was a good move for me, but not enough to make me into a Saladbox convert. Of the three-month subscription period that I signed up and paid for, I'd have to say only the first and third boxes neutralized my expectations for a bit. The second box which I received for December was just a box of sachets of Paula's Choice skin care that wasn't even worth the subscription fee. That's all that was for December- the season of joy and giving. I didn't feel the Christmas spirit then, it was just meh. I've decided not to post an unboxing too, but I still have the photos.

Something tells me that I should close the chapter on Saladbox for now and just wait for the Clou manicure set to arrive. The brand should amp up their game if they want to play in the field longer. Besides, there are other impressive local brands that they can team up with. All it takes is doing homework.

Looking back, I'll try out the Black Sugar Serum and see how it turns out.

I hope you are having a good weekend. It's time for some pampering and revitalizing. Tell me what your plans are ayt? Enjoy!

Wednesday 9 April 2014

It Won't Be Long Now, P Wants To Give Up On Me

 

It's been ten years, Pentax Optio has been the witness of our family affairs and my constant blogging companion. But during one of my photo sessions for beauty products that I was featuring, the screen was flickering on and off. 

Admittedly it's gone through a lot, it has its own stories to share. It fell, was comatosed, resurrected and now is living its twilight years. Even if I've acquired a smartphone with a camera, I sometimes still prefer to use the P because of the color quality and macro shot focus. I know sooner or later that it will be stubborn and say "hey, other gadgets get to retire at the age of 5 or 6, why do I have to push beyond 10 years?"

To be honest, I have to maximize the P. But in the meantime, I'll use the Xperia (that's what I've been doing lately). I'll be lucky to find a replacement pretty soon but I'm saving.