What I Got For Christmas 2018

It's that time of the year when almost every blogger/vlogger are uploading their posts or videos about what they got for Christmas and I am definitely one of those people who will binge watch and read all of them. That made me enjoy making my own as well so I'm excited to post this but I'm kind of rushing it because my mom is visiting us so I'll be spending most of my time with her.

 Like always though, I got to pick out my own presents and at the same time, save the rest of what's left for the rest of the year which I think is the best thing ever. Basically, it's a haul / what I got for Christmas and I will include the prices of each one in case anyone is wanting the same things for themselves or to give as a gift and is curious about how much they were.

• Chloe Classic Perfume (Gift Set) 

Duty Free (128 USD)

I feel like I get a new perfume each year just because I am obsessed with perfumes as it is. Each year I'm looking to try out a new scent, specifically from a different brand every single time. This is my first ever Chloe perfume so I guess it's just suiting that I get the classic scent. This is one of my purchases that I have thought about all year and was thrilled to finally get it because 1. it is cheaper than the mall price because it's from Duty Free and 2. In time for Christmas and before the year ended.

• Plaid Skirt Jumper

Forever 21 (PHP 899)

My mom and I was just going around the mall trying to find shoes and accessories for an event that we're heading to by the end of the year when I saw this and thought it was the cutest thing ever. I definitely saw this jumper from other girls on Pinterest, tumblr, Instragram and everywhere else. I always thought they looked so pretty and girly but never really went out to find them for myself just because I didn't see them for sale whenever I head to the mall and stuff and I haven't put on extra effort on finding this specific jumper. It was definitely on sale but I forgot how much was the original price and 899 for me is already within my price range for these things so I'm happy about it. 

• Dirty White Sweater 

Lazy Fare @ Glorietta 1 (PHP 200) 

I am guilty for having so many of these types of sweaters but I never owned one in white. My mom actually dislikes my sweater collection but I find them really comfortable, they make sweaters that are really thin that's okay to wear with the humid weather that the Philippines has. Also, I don't have to think too much about what to pair with them because they go well with shorts, skirts, pants or whatever. So when I found this and saw that it was cheap, I just decided to get it. 

• High Heels

"Margay" @ The Landmark Department Store (PHP 649) 

For whatever reason, ever since I turned 20, I ran out of high heels. I had so many back in high school / when I was a teen but sadly they got ruined because of me not using them at all. Now, I had to go to places that required me to have these types of shoes. So I went to the mall with my mom to get a pair. I guess that this is gonna be the start of me collecting high heels again because as soon as I tried them on, I suddenly remember how much I used to love these types of shoes.  Again, this was on sale (50% off if I remember correctly).

• Peripera Ink Concealer #2 Blemish Hider Beige 

SM Department Store (PHP 460) 

First of all, isn't this the cutest concealer ever? I swear Peripera has the cutest packaging for their products. I was definitely in need of a new concealer because I ran out and at the same time, I have been wanting to try more products from this brand, specifically this concealer. I have tried this out yesterday and I feel like it works just as it says it does but we'll see in the long run I guess. Can I just point out that this looks almost the same as the lip inks? Truly a space saver on my makeup bag if this works well. 

• L'OREAL Paris True Match Foundation in G2 Gold Porcelain 

SM Department Store (PHP 500 to PHP 400) 

I am gonna be honest and say that I was lowkey sad that they changed the color range because I used to buy the perfect shade of foundation for myself from them way back which was the W3 Nude Beige (I made a review about this product back in 2015 HERE). So I had to again find the closest shade I could find from their new selection. The only thing that I didn't like from this before was that it didn't work well on me during hot weathers but I did like that it looks good on me during cold weathers. I remember it not giving me enough coverage before but now I'm willing to try it again. I do appreciate the new packaging because I do not have to pour the product onto my hands anymore because it finally has a pump and I feel like they added more products into it. 

• L'OREAL Paris Hair Dye in 6.13 Golden Nude Brown

The Landmark Department Store (PHP 399 to PHP 299) 

This isn't really new to me or to anyone really since I've been very open about me coloring and cutting my own hair. The dye I use for my hair is this (after I bleach my hair.. I know it's complicated) and I got this again since I saw that they were on sale. I also do need to touch up my roots and color because it's been months and it's starting to fade. 

Hope that you had a Merry Christmas and I'm wishing you to have a happy new year! But first, tell me what did you get for Christmas this year? 

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A 5-minute Facial Using Only 2 Products

In this day and age, living in it comes with a lot of demands such as school, playing catch-up with old friends, focusing on your mental health, trying to eat healthy, budgeting the money that sometimes isn't enough for everything and updating your social media accounts so your family won't miss you so much. A day isn't enough for everything, sometimes a week isn't as well. Doing the things I mentioned lacks parts that I often forget to do or really don't have the time doing anymore such as getting enough sleep, exercising, checking for new products like makeup or clothes at the mall, having time for a new hobby, doing my skin care routine on a daily basis or (what might've caused all of this:) managing my time. Plus the things outside that contribute to how our moods will go every day like the weather (harsh sunrays) and pollution.

Now, I'm not complaining, I'm very blessed to have a life where I am able to do all these things with the hours, days, weeks, months and years that I have because I'm still so young. But I'm also not gonna deny that it does take a toll on me, number one: on my skin.

First, my skin goes through phases wherein I'm really oily on my whole face, and then it switches to having an oily t-zone and very dry parts on my face. Not to mention I have sensitive skin and is very acne prone. Also, I'm one of those people who stresses out a lot. Whether we like it or not, it contributes a lot to achieving healthy and young looking skin. I'm not saying "young" too lightly, being young comes with a skin with an elasticity which helps the skin always looking good as new!

Not gonna lie, I love watching and blogging about my skin care routine, but like I said, I don't have the time nor the patience to do it every single day. I have searched high and low for amazing products. I've jumped on bandwagons for face masks and toners that didn't really work that good on me as everyone said it did on them. I just wanted products that I don't have to use every single day that would still make my skin look amazing. Just in time though, Fresh came out with their new products for their Lotus Youth Preserve line. They added in their Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask and their Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream.

PS: My lips have been very dry these past few days and you'll likely see them here but I'm taking care of that now.

fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask Seaweed Radiance Facial


The very first thing I noticed once I opened the packaging was the scent. It smells so fresh (no pun intended) because of its natural ingredients. It consists of a blend of kombu seaweed, red algae, and lotus seeds that gently refines the skin's texture. Fresh also claims that this mask is a multi-benefit, 5-minute facial in a jar that rescues, revives and recovers tired and overstressed skin from daily stressors back to its radiant and youthful complexion. I mean, it sounds like everything that we could ask for right?

So, it's talked about that this product gives instant results. Based on Fresh's survey:
97% said it minimized the signs of daily stress, including dull, rough and dry skin.
97% said it preserved their youthful-looking complexion.
100% noticed it created a clean, smooth canvas.





















On the back of the packaging, it says that you need to apply this on your face in circular motions and to let it work for 5 minutes.

The feeling that I experienced as I was applying this was first the scent was instantly relaxing. It helped a lot to make my mind chill as I was gently rubbing it on my face. It does sink into my skin quickly so I kinda use a lot of it. It also kinda tingles on my skin after applying but it would disappear in a few minutes so I just let my skin calm down before I apply more products after.

I would say that after I used it for a few times, it helped a lot on the dry parts on my face since it was kind of like a scrub because my face felt instantly softer after and made the dry patches disappear. This product also made my face feel so smooth and feel so clean. The cleanliness felt like it lasted the whole day even if I was out and about.


fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream with Super 7 Complex

Okay, I expressed my love for the face mask, but this face cream, I love it just as much (maybe even more). I mainly use this as a moisturizer. I use this product a few days in a week after I use the face mask, cleanse and tone my skin or before I apply my makeup on. Even if I go a few days without using it and dry patches start to show on some parts on my face again, I just apply this and it moisturizes my skin which helps to get rid of the appearance of the dry patches on my face. My face just feels hydrated and soft for a long time in a day or two.

Usually, I apply moisturizers only at night because the weather in the Philippines makes my oily t-zone look oilier than usual, and sometimes the moisturizers I used contributes a lot to the oiliness. This product did not exaggerate the oiliness on my face, it is not sticky and is very lightweight. It also dries up on the face faster or rather, it sinks into my face quickly, sucking up all the moisture this product gives with ease. The oiliness on my face still shows but it doesn't look out of control or excessive.

Applying this face cream before I apply my makeup provides a smooth canvas for my foundation and concealer. It does not make my makeup look patchy and my skin still feels so soft and smooth even after I applied my full face of makeup. So basically, it is something that is perfect to use to prep my skin for makeup.

This face cream claims to minimize or reduce the early signs of aging and like the face mask, and it boosts the skin's radiance. Being at a time where I could really feel the stress of the day to day activities, it is good to have something that would at least help me to still look presentable whenever I need it so much. Using this helps my skin to kind of like repair itself from all the lack of sleep, sometimes not eating healthy food enough and stress. The only thing that this product didn't help me with were the red spots on my face. I think it was just how it was, it never turned redder as I was using this product nor did it get lighter.

Would I recommend?

You might have checked these products out while reading this, and I know that these may cost a lot of money but something that I learned and is still trying to apply in my life is to not be cheap with myself. Having to do and work with a lot of things deserves a reward or treatment by the end of the day. The reward not only has to be something that reminds you of your hard work but would also help you with taking things slow and relax for you to concentrate on yourself and nothing else. Taking care of yourself is the best thing that you could reward yourself with. As long as you could afford it, I would recommend for you to check these out.

Also, if you are for whatever reason finding a late mother's day gift like me, then this would be one of the perfect ones to give for your mom and you to have a pamper session together in the comfort of your own home. Belated Happy Mother's Day to all the lovely and hardworking moms out there!




Disclosure: This was a collaboration with Sephora. I was not paid to say anything I mentioned about the products or the brands. Everything I wrote was based on my own experiences and what I found out from research on these products.

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Happy Skin Express Gel Polish Review (Dreamer)

These days, I've been addicted to gel-like or gel-shine polishes. I don't really feel like getting actual gel polishes on my nails because from what other people told me, they cost a little bit more and requires a little bit more effort to maintain the polish and your natural nails as well. About a month ago, I found this at BeautyBar in Shangri-la and decided to test it out.

Price: PHP 249

2-in-1 base + color

No UV lamp needed

I actually feel bad that you guys are seeing my nails before I actually get it cleaned at the Salon, (I'll get it cleaned in 2 weeks or so I promise!).


Description Breakdown:

• ✔  - First of all, I cannot compare this to an actual gel polish because I personally never tried it, but I would say, this product isn't exactly chip-resistant, but it does last longer than a regular nail polish on my nails. I chip my nail polish a day (or even in an hour sometimes) after I get it done or if I do it myself. I felt like this nail polish felt thick once it fully dried so it could last me a few more days than what a normal, drugstore polish would offer. There are some few chips here and there but it would usually be at small spots on my nails. The shine finish does last long on the nails even if it's been a few days since I applied this nail polish on it. 
• ✖ - This really varies on how "quick" your quick is. For mine quick is like 15-20 minutes max. I often check my nails 15 minutes after I applied nail polish and for me, this polish did appear dry, but it still easily smudged when I lightly brushed it into a clothing piece or if I need to grab something, and it took me 30 minutes or so for this polish to really be dry on my nails even if I didn't put a thick layer on. Note that I didn't do anything special to get it to dry on my nails, I didn't use a UV lamp (because I don't own one and it doesn't need one as it claims), so I just let it air dry as I watch some youtube videos. This really doesn't have much difference with a regular drugstore nail polish in terms of drying speed for me. 
• ✔ - I'm the type of person who has naturally weak nails, I break them almost every second of the day. I wouldn't say that my nails turned uber strong when I used this polish, but my nails did not feel as weak as it did when I didn't have this nail polish on. My nails felt like it kinda thickened and it doesn't bend as much, so most likely, it's due to the Hydrolyzed Keratin ingredient in this nail polish. 

Additional Notes:

The smell of it is pretty much the same as any other nail polish, although it isn't as strong or what I would call would stink up the room, you could only smell it if you lean really close on the product. The 1st layer is a little bit thin so I tend to put at least 2 layers on each nail. The finish is shiny that it resembles a gel polish finish. The stains on the skin left by the nail polish can easily be removed by putting some acetone on a cotton swab and lightly rubbing it on the skin around the nail. The removal of this polish on my nails doesn't need any special technique or whatsoever, just the regular cotton pad and acetone and it's gone. Overall the color and the finish does look great, I do like those two factors a lot.


Honestly, PHP 249 is a bit steep for a nail polish price if what you're considering is the overall nail polish look. This nail look could be achieved with a similar shade on a regular polish and a really shiny top coat. The thing that I am liking about this product is the Hydrolyzed Keratin ingredient added to it. Like I said I have weak nails that break on a daily basis, so I need all the help that I could get.







*I am in no way sponsored by any of the companies or brands mentioned. I am stating my own opinion based on how I observed my experience using the product. 

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