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

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Product Spotlight: Human Nature 100% Natural Clarifying Shampoo




At the end of the week, I arose from the dessert that is called the public school and let down my hair that has been in a bun from 5AM up to 3 PM. Our rigid and conservative teacher’s uniform consist of a coat and skirt, white top, nude nail polish if one must and cannot live without nail polish, and finally, pink or peach-nude lipstick matched with hair in a bun. 

From Monday to Thursday, that’s what I look like. Casual Friday is Reading Day and my Grade 8 kids welcome the change in my image. It is only then that I can let my hair down and my strands rest. Given that my hair has experienced being tied up and pinned and twisted, I wanted my hair and scalp to feel refreshed and clean.  

This is where a clarifying shampoo comes in then. 

Our hair is exposed to stress, heat, styling and other chemical products. A clarifying shampoo provides a deep and natural clean. I found an organic clarifying shampoo that didn’t upset my budget. Human Nature introduced a Clarifying Shampoo with an improved foamy and fragrant, luxurious lather. It is formulated with natural fruit acids that help get rid of impurities and the muck that has been building in the scalp and roots. It has aloe vera and betaine to help soothe and moisturize hair strands. 

For my first use, I didn’t have any idea how much to apply, so I tried a wild guess and it gave just the right healthy lather on my head. I usually towel dry my hair and leave it at a wrap before I let it all down and I was just ridiculously content with the fresh and mild fragrance. 

It has a fruity scent which I really like and I could tell that my scalp was squeaky clean and my strands were instantly lightweight.

Now if only my hair could talk, I would be hearing a faint whisper of thanks in my ear...


Sunday 17 August 2014

NYX Beauty Haul From Beauty's Treasure Shop



 

I have to say that it’s my first time to try NYX products. My makeup brands have always been Mary Kay and Urban Decay plus the bonuses I get for reviewing samples. I found quite a bargain from Beauty’s Treasure Shop and I think no other shop will be able to give out so many freebies. Ladies, my advice would be to keep an eye out for this shop, you get absolutely good value for your buck!

On to my haul, there’s quite an assortment for the lips, eyes and cheeks. This has got to be the ultimate bargain haul. To begin with, there is a matte lipstick in Audrey that’s a pale pink shade, almost like old rose. I’m not so sure that this matches my skin tone though. I do have high hopes for the Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp and Monte Carlo. They smell good, not like the boring lipstick scent that I normally observe. Antwerp is close to Audrey in a soft pink shade, Monte Carlo is a ruby red shade and both have long-lasting power. I might just want to give these a try.


The eye palettes are just something for me, as if they were just waiting for me to come along. They come from the Caribbean collection and have an assortment of smoky eye shades and also evening glam in violets. I Dream of St. John is just the right smoky eye palette for those who want to try it and I Dream of Barbados has violets with hints of shimmer.


To be honest, this is my first encounter with a Mosaic Powder Blush, this is the Spice variety. I normally just use a peach blush and that works on me. But right now I feel like I want to experiment. So what does a Mosaic Powder Blush do? It is “a medley of 9 matte and shimmery colors creates a flush of color and dazzling glow for every skin tone. Use to highlight, enhance, brighten and bronze. Each mosaic of color blends beautifully with magical results”. Sounds promising doesn’t it? Let’s see what a swirl of this can do. 


Lastly, there is the Cream Blush in Tickled. Upon closer inspection, the pigments have fine gold shimmer and have a touch of elegance about it. I have yet to find out how it will fare against the ordinary powder blush that I've been using.

Like I said, it's my first time to try out NYX. What should I expect? Care to share your thoughts? Have a good day!

Wednesday 13 August 2014

On Fragrances: Mad and Happy with Pink Sugar Cosmetics




I guess this is one of the surprises I can ever come across with. I haven’t expected full sized products to sample and yet here they are!

Pink Sugar Cosmetics is a new brand that has been gaining attention in the bigger cities but I’m still glad that I got a chance to try out their products. As of now they have body mists in uniform sizes and have already three collections that range from the happy, fruity to naughty. I received the Mad for Melon from the Fruity Collection and the Be Happy from the Happy Collection.
Mad for Melon is “a refreshing blend of fresh melon slices and crisp champagne. The combination brings a celebratory scent for your senses.” Its style is said to be fresh, unique and crisp with sweet melon and champagne notes. 
 

There’s no denying that it’s sweet and absolutely lively. Spray this on a bleak day and you will still feel like sunshine. However the sweetness can last for a long time, too long compared to what a good old citrus-green tea lover would like. But Mad for Melon has a good blend of fruit and sweetness and can transform the mood in just a single spritz. 

 

Be Happy is “a carefree and light blend of floral extracts and a gentle hint of yellow plum. Be Happy is just right for those who don’t like strong scents”. For its style, it goes for a carefree, light and floral appeal, and features lily, white freesia, mimose and yellow plum notes. 

Be Happy has a somewhat toned-down fragrance that suggests crisp and clean notes. I would like to blame it on the freesia. This makes it just the ideal scent to spray for a leisurely time in the beach or just a walk outdoors. I honestly can’t stop sniffing it off my wrist. It also has impressive staying power. 

In all honesty, for a body mist, it actually can give the bigger names in the fragrance field quite a competition. It’s nothing overpowering and yet, it’s one of the non-green tea citrus scents that I actually like.  The cleaner, crisper tail stays behind and something tells me it is a good after-shower scent too.
Between the two, I prefer Be Happy the most but I also acknowledge that they are instant mood-lifters and are actually quite affordable. For only Php299-349 depending on the collection, the bottles all come in generous 250ml sizes. 

I like that Pink Sugar Cosmetics has dared to defy expectations and make their brand more defined, carving a niche of its own in the market. I already have high hopes for this name. So what’s next for Pink Sugar? Follow them to find out!