Girl Stuff Haul Preparing A Surprise Birthday Present

Let’s bring out our inner kikay with Girl Stuff Nail Polish! Here’s a glimpse of the latest haul for a surprise birthday present for the girl who has everything (beauty, brains and talents-yes talents!). Here’s also a peak at my Girl Stuff mini collection plus this season’s tin cans for gifting.

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#girlstuff #solique #nailpolish #gelpolish #kikay #beauty #minicollection #allaboutpolish #chemicalfree #madeinfrance #toxicfreenailpolish #athome #pamperyourself #zamboangacity #lifestyle

Facebook Post: Let’s bring out our inner kikay with Girl Stuff Nail Polish! Here’s a glimpse of the latest haul for a surprise birthday present for the girl who has everything (beauty, brains and talents-yes talents!). Here’s also a peak at my Girl Stuff mini collection plus this season’s tin cans for gifting.

Unboxing: Summer Radiance in BDJ Box May 2014

It finally arrived. 

Even before BDJ announced that the May boxes were being shipped, I had a pretty good feeling that it would include nail polish thanks to my stalking the site frequently, I didn’t realize there would be two shades! But I’m getting ahead of myself here. 

It’s a box of surprises for summer pampering and there are impressive products inside. This month's theme is all about Summer Radiance, a pampering treat for the last stretch of summer from interesting brands.

I'm so thankful that BDJ included this in my box because I've tried this and I am currently lovin' it bay-beh... =p This was also the first thing that caught my attention and although the label and instructions are in Korean, the curation card explains that it is a leave-on pack to help the skin restore its natural moisturizing properties. I like that it's lightweight and I find it a good bedtime moisturizer with a very faint scent. It's supposed to be used only twice a week. That should prolong my using it up in a month's time. (That's how much I am so into this...)

  

New nail polish to play with! I can't believe that they cost Php 300+ each, I'm blown away! I like that the box included two contrasting shades. The left one is Seashell which is a barely-there peach-pink colour with a faint gloss. It's like Bobbie's Fave Bikini and if any of you ladies are looking for something work-appropriate and a splurge on polish, this is it. The right one is Jungle, a forest green shade. I like dark nail polishes and have a bias towards this.  This should save me from hoarding more shades in the near future because it promises long-lasting colour. 

 

The purpose of a beauty haul in a box is to try new things, and I am just so grateful that this has been included in the box and I got to try out a shampoo and conditioner (after my mother and sister helped themselves). It did wonders to my dry hair after just a single wash and I like that it is a new experiential fragrance for my crowning glory. Love!

  

I like that Godiva has been generous with the sachets of lotion and deodorant. I've just started using them so let's see how they turn out. This couldn't have come at a better time because I need to restock on lotion.  As for the deodorant, I'm not so keen on it being in sachet, a tiny sample bottle could have been helpful. 

 

I haven't yet tried these masks and both of them says firming so I have to close my eyes, do an eenie-minie-miney-mo and try one for the weekend and I can tell you all about it.

Before the boxes were shipped, BDJ announced that they were giving away flip flops to 100 subscribers. I didn't get them but received a voucher for a free Avon brassiere. Would the ZC branch accept it, I wonder.

For this month's set of stickers, it says A Happy Woman Is A Beautiful Woman.

I do fancy the sleeping pack and nail polish, and I like the Organix hair care set so I have to check out how to get full-sized goodies pretty soon. It's just like a delicious treat on the head!

That's pretty much the contents of this month's box. Have a good week and enjoy the rest of May!

Would You Enjoy Chocolate Diamonds On Your Fingertips?

And I am back! It may sound like I've been busy with work, and that fact I do have to confirm. So much for trying hard to be able to update this corner frequently.Four haul posts later, and some weeks in between (work has kept me busy), here I am back to my nail polish features. 

For this particular shade, I can't help noticing that it resembles liquid chocolate diamonds. If you want an idea, here are luscious jewelries that are proudly called chocolate diamonds.

Photo from http://www.kay.com

They look delicious don't they? They are even sweeter to show off. So how can simple women on a budget enjoy chocolate diamonds on our hands? Here's a tip. You can enjoy chocolate diamonds' liquid version. Run to the nearest HBC store you can find and look for the nail polish bottle that closely resembles a rich, dark, brown spectacled color. In my case, I picked up San San's Nail Polish in Burnt Copper.

Pleased with it, I am. With a couple of coats, it sure looked like there were gleaming pieces of bejewelled chocolate diamonds on my nails. You can see the tiny glitters just by looking at the bottle.

And if you must know, this color stayed on my nails for a full week! That's seven days without thinking of changing even if I had new colors from San San. Now I am protecting this precious color as long as I can! With rich nails like these, chocolate diamonds should not be eaten, they should be flaunted!

My HBC Girl Gets Kita Loot and Mini Haul

After over a month of waiting, I finally received my prize from the Girl Gets Kita Shout Out Forum by HBC on Facebook.  The reason why it took so long was because it came all the way from Manila and the siege in our city forced most of the shops to close. But every time I would go to the HBC shop in town, I would see if my loot already arrived. So Sis and I stepped in and brought home a small loot too apart from my gift. 

 I know you are curious to see what's inside!

The thoughtful HBC team put together these goodies for me. I now have a Body Recipe Papaya soap, two more San San Nail Polishes to add to my growing collection, Blue Sapphire and Red Gleam, an Allue lip gloss in Cherry, and three Hortaleza Professional hair treatment packs. You can tell that I will be busy in the weeks to come.

 

Apart from that, I went to look for a compact eyelash curler so that I can practice with eye makeup when I have the time. (Work has been occupying my brain lately and I just need a little color and beauty therapy to reset.) I really don't like the bulky and scissor-like ones, I was relieved when I saw this. 

 And if you remember how easily I gravitate towards nail polish, I spent another session looking at the pastel colors this time, so let me introduce the new members of my nail polish family, Purple Breeze and French White. There still aren't any colors from the Holiday Collection, but once there are, you know where I'm headed.

All in all, it was a fruitful day since I went around town with my Mom and my siblings, and I got my gift pack, so I'm grinning ear to ear too. I am also giving you the chance to bring home a box filled with goodies, you can join here and try your luck! Have a good weekend!

Cheerful After Gray Skies

Last week was a mixture of ups and downs for me. But at least I already got to launch my October giveaway here. It's really getting busier and busier at work and more deadlines are creeping up, but that simply means we are gearing towards bigger things. Personally, I like to see developments in a company. I'm the kind of person who can be a sadist and a workaholic sometimes. (That's just a quick warning...) 

 So, let me get this out for a quick second. You know I have been thinking of a quick post about introducing basic words in my local dialect and I'm already listing them down. I could start with 10-15 words or phrases then eventually introduce sentences that are used in daily conversation.

San San's Gray Skies is a part of the nail polish haul I took home last weekend. You can tell that San San is beginning to be my go-to for long lasting nail color. I hope the other brand does not feel insecure about that.

This nail color from San San is called Gray Skies. For only Php37 or less than a dollar, one can get a smooth nail color that, when topped with a good top coat, can last for a full week! I think it's a really pretty color that can neutralize the loud colors.

As you know, I am a part of a conservative work environment and it's not always a good idea to flaunt loud nail color. I used this on a Friday casual day nail color as shown below, with the pastel pink on the fourth finger on my left hand. But for the weekend, it could be a breath of fresh air to wear under blue skies. Having gray skies and gray nails can be repetitious, not to mention boring.

Have a good Sunday and watch out for my series on basic Chavacano words and phrases. It will be fun! =)

It Sure Is Peachy Keen.... Product Spotlight on San San Nail Polish in Raspberry Peach

Here is a personal observation...

Every time I visit the HBC store in town, I gravitate straight towards the nail polish section. Sure, I'm not going to be the first person to say that there are so many interesting and colorful products in line, but I guess that's just the effect San San nail polishes have on me ever since I tried Touch of Tan.

One of the colors that I got from my latest weekend haul is San San's Raspberry Peach. It's a deeper version of Perfectly Pink. It is one of those frosty shades with minuscule glitters that look a bit too dark when already applied on medium skin tone. I was thinking that I could get something a little appropriate for work and not gain too much attention on my hands. However, I find it to be nice when worn outdoors on vacation mode, so it's still a keeper somehow. (I have problems letting go of nail polishes that I come in contact with...)

I am kind of in the middle with this shade. Though I think this would be great for those who like frosty, peach-pink shades. But for a conservative working environment, I would prefer something a little lighter and not too frosty, I would lean towards something that is "barely there". I think Bobbie's Fave Bikini would be a good match but my bottle has already dried up and I don't really like the consistency after a few uses, it tends to be sticky.

One thing great about Raspberry Peach is that it requires only a couple of coats to get the color right and it's quick drying. I also really adore that it does not chip nor crack, that's one really good payoff with San San and its nail polishes. Now this got me curious as to what the other shades for the holiday collection would be.. 

 What are your favorite San San nail polish shades? What shades would you like to try?

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Weekend Haul, Lacquer Love

Judging by the photos that you see here, I think you already get the teeny-tiniest, itty bitty idea that............ I do.... I do... I do.... like NAIL POLISH! 

There....

It's all out... 

Whew. 

Check out my not-so-impressive nails here, here and here. 

The thing is, I already have quite a collection, but I don't really post and write about my NOTD that much, because I have my plate filled already everyday with work and other stuff that seem to creep up on my to-do when I am already awake. 

After J picked out his laptop to replace the old one which already wanted to give up, we got the chance to walk around and well, here's what I got in two separate shops in just a single afternoon! 

I have always wanted to have clean and neat French manicures, so that explains-"justifies" the Chic Nail Design Two Way Pen and Brush in Ivory.

Next, Bobbie has a new line - (well, new because it's the first time I have heard of it!) called Wondernails, and I will be showing you how it works (gritting my teeth in fear) because accordingly, a clear coat can spell the difference between the matte effect or so...

And I got the OMG in First Date because I needed to compare another color in pink that will be appropriate for work again.

You know, San San is beginning to be a staple in terms of nail polish for me. I picked up another bottle of the clear top coat, then I have Cloudy Gray, Warm Blue and Raspberry Peach. And because I am a sucker for bar soaps, I reached for the Allue milk bath soap.

Please don't ask me for the total amount because that will only make me squirm in embarrassment. I am now thinking of moving the nail lacquers to the big plastic container already.

But I promise, nothing goes to waste because I do share some of them with my aunts who also have an Achilles heel when they spot the little bottles on my vanity. I am keeping them organized as best as I could.

Saying "cross my heart, hope to die" is rather harsh, isn't it? 

Crimson Portia, Hello October

I have never dedicated a post to anyone before, but I think it is  about time that I did.

Today, my grandmother is celebrating her 80th birthday and so the whole family is together, including the rest of the senior citizens in our family, to wish her a very happy birthday. Because her favorite color is red, I thought of doing my nails in red.

Red is her favorite color and I even used red on most of her invitations and labels. Thus, today's color is for her, Portia.

Here are the red, crimson red and not-so-red that I have in my vanity.

I used San San's basic transparent coat (which is fast running out) for the crimson theme, and there is Cherry Blossom and Vamp (Regular) both from Bobbie. For the more glittery version, there is the Face It Gradation Nail Kit in Very, Very Red from my Pretty Fix Collections Haul.

This is what Bobbie's Cherry Blossom looks like. Up close it looks more like a deep pink that has lots of shimmer. I've never gone to see cherry blossoms in person, but if the petals were are dark, and microscopic, I think that's what they would really look like.

As for Bobbie's Vamp in Regular, it's kind of a bit messy to apply, but hey I did it. I had to get the help of cotton buds dipped in polish remover to clean up the sides. (Admittedly the glitter takes away the attention of the messy application.... Alright you can shoot me!)

This is what Face It Gradation Nails will look like if you had short nails like me. The first polish acts as the base coat and it is more of a sheer pink than red. There is the "gradation" from itty bitty glitter, to medium sized (as seen in the middle) to the bigger sized glitter as on the tips. One thing's for sure, the Gradation Nails Kit definitely did not miss out on all the glitter. 

That's it for Crimson Portia, I am officially welcoming October on a more positive note because Mom's birthday is also coming up. Can you keep a secret? I got her a beauty box and I yet have to see how she reacts! =) 

Have an awesome weekend! 

I'm currently putting together some stuff for a giveaway and all you have to do is stay tuned so you won't miss out! 

Product Spotlight: San San Nail Polish in Perfectly Pink

 

Even before the urban warfare started here, I got the chance to pick up new nail polishes from HBC in the city thanks to my ever constant shopping companion who understands my need to be girly girly. Apart from the Rosy Blush that I picked up earlier, I also got these two shades of additional nail polishes in Perfectly Pink and Seal Brown.

One thing that I really like about the San San nail polishes from HBC is that they are long-lasting and don't chip that easily. Let me elaborate later on. But why Perfectly Pink and Seal Brown? For one, I wanted to see how subtle of a pink the shade will look on my nails, and for the latter, I am a huge sucker for anything dark brown. Really, let me show you a collection of all my browns later, ok?

 

I find that you can get really good value for these 12ml bottles, because at Php 37 each they sure can last long with a decent amount of topcoat for protection.

Perfectly Pink is too frosty for me, but I think this will do for the outdoors or during travels and trips to the beach. It is super feminine, but I find it too attractive to be worn to the office. But I am keeping this shade with me just in case, especially for weekend trips with friends and loved ones.

Don't forget to join my Wawaza Authentic Japanese Products giveaway, this is your chance to do so, it is extra special, don't let it slip you by!

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? 

Emerald Nails for the Weekend from Bobbie

I have to admit that I am becoming obsessed with the color of green lately. You can see this by the haul I did earlier last month and the review I did last post for the eye shadow I received from Sample Room. Here is a mint green top I wore with Gording and it is now also my profile photo in Facebook haha. 

He isn't my dog but I still got to have a photo opp with him last week. 

So while the weekend allows for some rest and relaxation, I went ahead and experimented with green nails which could last at least a week since I am not expecting any formal events to pop up soon. 

I still need some practice in applying nail color. I am surprised though that I already switched to many different colors in just one month. In the meantime, here are the polishes I used for this week's Emerald Nails. 

Emerald Nails with Bobbie

Bobbie Basic Top Coat

Bobbie Emerald Glaze

Bobbie Basic Sheer 

Bobbie Premium in Flare 

Just in case you haven't, you can like Nails by Chic Center in Facebook and take a look at all the beautiful and rich colors they have in store.  

Would you care to share what nail color you have on right now? Leave some comments and Raisie will get back to you! 

Week in Photos

Too much has been going on for me, and it is quite difficult especially if I am the one being paranoid, going after deadlines. But at least I am looking forward to some down time with Bessie. I will also be posting new looks next week just to satisfy my love for prints. And when my Bessie sees my Lookbook account again, she will comment again on my addiction to florals and prints, hehehe.

Look who visited in our neighbour’s field in Pamucutan! This is a young carabao grazing on the front field. That’s how life is in our area. Some time ago, there was a carabao stampede right in the rough road leading to our house, good thing they did not crash against our gate.

My brother made me some fruit salad shake so that the leftover fruit salad from New Year’s Eve would not go to waste. He preserved it very well in the freezer and this just happened to be such a great treat from writing on a hot afternoon.

I think this is inspired by what he saw on TV by Chef Boy Logro in GMA. 

I did some not so impressive nail art! That’s just me trying to see what baby pink and silver glitters look like and I tried to make my very own version of French manicure. Hmm, if this one did not work, perhaps I should try caviar nails next time? I think V-Day which is less than a month away could be a fitting event for caviar nails. I saw a shop online which sells affordable sets. 

That’s all in the meantime. I am seriously thinking of big plans for this corner. But the big reveal will have to wait. Ciao! 

Weekend Report

Sabado

Yesterday I was so honoured to introduce to those who were present Atty. Laisa Masuhud-Alamia, our very own Pinay and Proud Ambassador. I admire her so much and it was through her works that I got to know her, prior to actually meeting her in person. So there I was, meeting her for the first time and mingling around in the new Human Nature branch. I have to say I’m glad that HN Zamboanga found a new home which is more accessible to people and the jeepney commuting public, me included.

I picked up some new arrivals in the HN shelves and bought some new products too. I can say I am also mighty excited for new items like the brewed coffee, cheese and Theo and Philo Chocolates which will be making a comeback this season. Oh yes, the haul: HN feminine wash in chamomile, men’s facial wash for the brother, some mandarin shampoo and anti-bacterial soap which I can bring anywhere.

Of course, the rain knew at which moment to heavily pour, so I was stranded and worried in the HN shop and had to wait it out because I was afraid of the laptop getting wet. Luckily I decided to buy my slippers. My old ones burst after a couple years of everyday use, and it was really my favourite because it had the studs on it against the black rubber. I ended up with a teal pair of Havaianas plain. I’m steering away from the jewelled, stud-ly ones now. I really am happy with the quality because it is made of thick rubber and it could last long too. I fit it before heading to pay for them, but somehow I think I could have gotten a smaller size instead. I am a size 35, but the pair said 35-36. When I got home and changed, they looked a little big on my dwarfish feet.

I have been thinking ever since to give it away, I couldn’t possibly return it because I already cut out the tags, and teal is such a favourite colour of mine. But I guess it could do.

So I ended up crashing here and stayed to catch up with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as they met again in Paris in 2004, and all the events that followed in Before Sunset.

I still have a cone of Cornetto Vanilla Ice Cream in the refrigerator, safely hidden away from the little girl’s eyes and reach, because it will ruin her diet. I still have to find the right mood to drown in for the vanilla.

Domingo

And nothing has changed. I had a chat with Ardrin regarding our plans for November. The guy is excited to come home and I am also looking forward to a book he should be bringing. I have to check though if they have a copy for me. Hahaha, my excitement when it comes to books.

Had my nails done in rose, and I am quite content with how it turned out. Here I am, finished with my weekend tasks, happy that at least I am right on track with my savings, I have not gone out to do some compulsive shopping, the weather these couple of days have prevented me to do so. And now, I am stuck here in the dark with no lights.

I have been wanting to get a new top and at least have some alternative jeans but here I am, afraid to spend again because I keep telling myself that I am saving for something more worthwhile. I haven’t even gone near any thrift shops. Yes, I have been looking at online shops, but that is just it. It even makes me scared to spend using the debit card. And so far, I haven’t used it or made any expensive purchases.

Saving is the name of the game, and I think it should stay that way.

Bank is happy.

Conscience is happy.