Saturday Shopping: Mango and Avalon Organics

Been stuck in my apartment for several weekends already so I decided to spend my Saturday in MOA (my favorite shopping haven in the metro). A week ago, I discovered that Mango was on sale while browsing their site. So I was really keen on checking their shop in MOA. Fortunately, the sale was still up yesterday. Hello 50% off! I probably spent a whole lot of time checking almost everything. Haha! And then, I got this - a flowy, floral printed dress. From P2,950, I got it for only P1,450. And it's in XS! Yeah, I really feel like a lucky girl because usually, on sales, the sizes are bigger than mine (but I still end up buying one, haha). The faux leather detail in the neckline adds a bit of an edge in an otherwise girly dress. I can already imagine pairing it with a black, leather jacket to give it a rocker chic vibe or a blazer and heels for the office look or just a pair of sandals for some comfy, effortless outfit.

Mango

I also went to Watsons - a shop that sells a variety of face, body, and hair care products. A stall caught my attention with the name of Avalon Organics (you can check their site here). You see, I'm not really particular of buying expensive bath products. As long as I have my Head and Shoulders shampoo and a soap, I'm good with that. But then going organic is something that I've been seeing in so many products, local and international. And this Avalon Organics, after reading the info, made me want to give it a try.

I hate to admit this but dandruff has been my problem when it comes to hair care for several years now. It's disgusting. I tried different shampoos but I find that Head and Shoulders is something that I should stick into. It doesn't really remove my dandruff one hundred percent but at least it doesn't worsen my dandruff like other shampoo does. But then again, it's also nice to try something that is natural and organic, meaning free of synthetic chemicals and solvents.

Avalon Organics' Scalp Normalizing Shampoo: Tea Tree Mint Therapy fits the bill! Please refer to the picture above for its uses. Well, look at all those ingredients (see image below), all those plant extracts and essential oils, all those natural goodness! And I've also been wanting to use something minty in my bath so this really is a must try. Super love the smell, too!

P.S. I'll be using it later and hopefully, after a month or so, I'll be able to make a review. By the way, I got the shampoo for P449 (414mL).

Saturday Shopping: Paperdolls, Max Factor, & Veet

Since I'll be attending a seminar next week, I decided to look for an outfit yesterday at SM City Calamba. I was thinking of wearing either a shift dress or slacks+blouse but I find it difficult and time consuming looking for and fitting slacks and blouses so I opted for the shift dress instead. It's much easier to fit dresses and it's pocket-friendly also compared to buying slacks and blouse since the two are different items with two different price tags. Hehe. Anyway, here's what I've got:

Paperdolls Checkered Dress
It's my first buy from the local brand Paperdolls. I love that it's a simple black and white dress and its checkered pattern brings out the mod style of the 1960's.

I also love that it has a small collar! And the back of the dress is all black (not pictured) which in a way balances the checkered front. And guess what? The dress is on sale (P1499.75 P799)! If you don't know my shopping capabilities, I have a somewhat good radar when it comes to on-sale items that fit my shopping standards.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick
I'm not a lipstick kind of girl (since I have dry and chappy lips, lipsticks always tend to have uneven smudges on my lips) but ,of course, I still want to have a touch of color in my lips. Thankfully, lip stains+lip balm combos are out in the market nowadays. I am particularly in favor of the lip crayons/giant pens. They are easy to apply. They add color as well as moisture to your lips, thus preventing the chapped look. I've been using the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (001 Honey Douce) for several months now and I love it. It has a rosy pink color. To add some variation, I wanted to try other shades (more natural looking on the slightly red or coral tones), which led me to try the Max Factor Colour Elixir stick in the shade of  Subtle Coral 20. I tested it and it looked and felt so natural. This is definitely going to be added in my day-to-day girly arsenal. By the way, I got it also on sale, P525 P425. Am I lucky or what? =)

Note: If you're going to use these products, after applying, you'll see that your lips are going to be somewhat shiny because of the lip balm. Just use a piece of tissue and slightly dab it on your lips to remove the shine.

Veet Hair Removal Cream
And lastly, I bought a hair removal cream (P265). I've never done shaving or waxing my legs because as what people say, once you started doing them, you have to maintain them. But the hair on my lower legs are quite obvious now, so for the first time in forever, I am going to try this hair removal cream. I bought Veet's cream for sensitive skin just to avoid some adverse effects. Hopefully, it will work out fine.

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Oh, the things that you buy as a girl! Haha!

Au Naturel

Give me BB cream, pressed powder, lip balm, and lip tint and I'm good to go. I'm not really the type of girl who wears all those eye makeup, mascara, blush, lipstick, etc. everyday  but let's face it, makeup is a girl's armor. I do love watching Michelle Phan's makeup tutorials but once in a while it's nice to see something different.

Saturday Shopping Haul

Finally it's a weekend! Spent the whole Saturday strolling in a mall. It's my first time to go back to the city since I arrived here in the Philippines. A little bit worried because I'm all alone but thank God everything went well (had a safe bus ride going to the mall and back to my place, didn't encounter creepy passengers, and enjoyed checking all the stuff in different shops).

Hello MOA! We meet again! (image source here)

Top view of the 42-hectare SM property (image source here)

SM Mall of Asia or simply MOA, I have to say is my most favorite shopping haven of all the malls/department stores in the metro because of the following:

• It's area is so vast but I love the fact that it's only two floors and the orientation of the shops are not confusing. 
• The ceiling is really way up (I hate places with low ceilings, sorry SM department store in Mega).
• The hallways are very wide. This helps me choose which way I want to go to avoid the many groups of mall-goers.
• There are a lot of international and local brands to choose from. Yey!
• Every door from the main mall has a shop locator and a person with whom you can ask your inquiries.
• And lastly, it's proximity. It's the nearest mall from the bus terminal.

So now, I'll be sharing the things that I got. =)

1.Laneige Lip Treatment, SPF 17

Presenting the Tint Pink Lip Treatment. I also made a swatch.

Laneige is a South Korean skin care and cosmetics line. See previous post here. The first product that I used was the Water Bank Gel Cream back when I was still in Korea. I love it because it moisturizes my combination skin well during the winter season. Since then, I've been wanting to try other Laneige products. I was initially eyeing a lipstick but since my lips are chapped, the sales lady had me tried on the Lip Treatment. It's like a lip balm + lip tint with SPF 17. Again, I love how it moisturizes my dry lips and gives a touch of color (I chose the Tint Pink) and, of course, how it protects my lips from the sun. I also tried the red one (included in my must-buy next time) which gave a more natural color.

2. Laneige Snow BB Cream, SPF 30+ PA++

I've been using BB cream for almost two years now. I've tried lots but the one that works well on my skin is Holika Holika's Face to Change BB cream (maybe I can make a review sometime). Unfortunately, Holika Holika hasn't opened a shop yet here in the Philippines.

Nowadays, there are so many brands of BB creams in the market but I still prefer the ones from Asia (particularly South Korea). Since I was already in Laneige, I also bought their Snow BB Cream in No. 2 shade (Natural BB). The lighter shade is No. 1 (Brightening BB). It's product details include: 1) Moisture protective seal, Liquid Crystal Essence and 2) Smart and Advance BB Cream with whitening, anti-wrinkle, and UV protection. I love the latter (anti-wrinkle, etc.) but the former (moisturizing) I'm just not sure because of my combination skin (oily T-zone and normal surrounding areas) and it behaves badly especially in this hot, humid weather. Well, I have yet to see the results. Hoping it will work out fine.

Aside from the products, there's more to love when you buy in Laneige (or any other Korean brand), they give you lots of gift items (in sachet packs) to try on! Can't wait! I even requested the Water Bank Eye Gel because I am in desperate need of a weapon for my crow's feet.

3. Petit Monde Dress
Petit Monde is a Filipino clothing brand of good quality and reputation. Petit Monde started in 1988. Wow, I'm just a year older! The description in their site says,

Started in 1988, Petit Monde aimed for one thing: to provide the regular Filipino teen trendy options to dress up the way they want to - no frills, no pretenses, no pomposities. Just comfortable and stylish numbers that speak about their generation...Petit Monde also brings it up on themselves to grow up with the teen market with whom it all started by coming up with labels that cater to young adults, and chic yuppies. 

The first time I got a Petit Monde clothing was when I was 10 years old. It was a hand-me-down playsuit from my older cousin. What I remember was the beautiful old rose color, the feel of the fabric, and the pearl buttons. Sadly, I only wore it once or twice maybe because I was still in that phase where I choose baggy pants and loose shirts over girly clothes. The old days! Now, after 16 years, I got my second Petit Monde item.

It was a beautifully crafted dress. Here's the story: Actually, I have no intention of buying a dress. For some reason I found myself in their shop, looking intently at every item. It's nice that their clothes are grouped according to color. I was in the cream stand when I found a dress. It may sound exaggerated but it's like love at first sight. I really like the dress - the simple cut, the artistic design, the luxurious feel of the fabric...

The sales lady said it's also available in another color. She showed me the blue green version and it was definitely lovely. I was talking to myself, convincing myself not to buy. Hehe. I was pleased just staring but the sales lady suggested for me to try both dresses. The blue green in small size and the cream in medium (since it's out of stock for small). Surprise, surprise! The blue green fits perfectly in all the right places! The line, "It covers my flaws and emphasizes my assets." really applies. Haha! From the shoulders, to covering my stomach, up to the hem line - it's just perfect! Even the sales lady agreed and said lots of good things. So in the end, with a paper bag in hand, I walked out of the shop as happy as I can be. Teehee!

Here's a better picture =)

Being in my mid twenties, I am now starting to invest in pieces of clothing that are of good quality. Pieces that are classic and timeless. And this one goes right into my collection. Although this may be the priciest among all the dresses that I have so far, I can say that every penny is worth it. =)

More pictures of my new favorite clothing shop.

And of course, I had a pic together with the friendly and beautiful sales ladies. Well, well, well, I will definitely go back to Petit Monde and get that privilege card!

Now, the question is, when will I wear this dress? To my friends, please get married now! Haha!

Beauty and Skin Care Journey

Admit or not, every girl has something to say about how she looks. Every girl has an opinion on what beauty means and all other things that are associated with it. Every girl has her own journey when it comes to beauty and skin care.

Well, here's my journey.

Going back in time
When I was in high school, acne started to invade my face. That's the time I started using skin care products. I used Pond's, Eskinol, Clean and Clear, and many other products which I saw in TV that promises to clear your skin of pimples. But unfortunately, nothing worked for me. So, I just went back to my regular soap, Safeguard. When I entered the university, unlike other female students, I was never the type who would buy lots and lots of beauty products and make-up simply because I know that they just don't work for me. And due to my hectic schedule, I just didn't have time to prettify myself so I just went to my classes with a face powder and a lip balm on. Those were the only products that I used after washing my face with a cleanser. For my cleanser, I tried Cetaphil, Olay, St. Ives, and other random cleansers that you find in the grocery store or drugstore. For the face powder, I specifically used Johnson's Baby Powder. That's the only product I stick on for a long time because if it's good for baby's skin (meaning it's gentle), I know it's definitely good for my skin too. By the way, my skin type is combination (oily T-zone and dry cheeks), acne-prone, and sensitive. For my lips, it easily gets chapped, especially on the colder months, so my lip balm from Nivea always comes to the rescue.

                           




However, after graduating and finally getting a job, I started to allot some time in improving and taking care of my physical well-being. Since I was having acne troubles (well I still do until now), I decided to go to a dermatologist. So  I started to get facials and other treatments, such as Light Peel, and used the skin care products from my derma. So yeah, I was indeed alloting time for my derma appointments, alloting time for applying the skin care products every morning and night...and alloting money also. Part of my salary was devoted in maintaining my skin care but no regrets, everything paid off. Little by little, my acne started to lessen. You might wonder, why do I still have acne until now? Well, blame the hormones and stress and the genes. But during that time, my derma and her products were doing wonders for my skin. I was still not into make-up though because my skin was so sensitive and if you put a product on, it'll easily result to acne. But if there's a special event, I did wear a little make-up (Revlon foundation, Maybelline blush & lipstick).

Fast forward
Almost two years ago, I arrived in Korea. Oh boy, I was just overwhelmed with all the beauty products. They're literally everywhere! From the low-end/"for high schoolers" - The Face Shop, Nature Republic, Inisfree, Skin Food, Etude House, Holika Holika, Mischa, etc. (You may ask, why for high schoolers? These brands, although they have different product lines, most of the customers that you see when you walk in their shops are usually high school students.)

warning: don't be deceived by the claim in the above picture

to the middle/somewhat high-end brands - Laneige, Mamonde, etc. Actually, there's a blurry line between some of the "middle" brands and high-end ones when it comes to pricing. One word, expensive.

The high-end brands - Amore Pacific, Iope, (both are owned by Amore Pacific Co.), etc.

Gosh, looking at the pictures above, with the brand models and their perfect looking skin, makes me want to have a skin as beautiful as theirs. And the shops? They're on every corner in the city! So ever wonder why Koreans have that beautiful, healthy, glowing, smooth skin? Now you know the answer. And I should add, it's also in the genes.

At present
So yeah, since I am just in awe, I couldn't help but try the Korean products. Up until now, I am still looking for that perfect product for my skin type. And for my future posts, I'll be sharing some of the Korean products that I bought and tested and my experience/review about them.


More to come!



Image sources: Johnson's Baby Powder, Nivea Lip Balm, The Face Shop, Skin Food, Etude House, Laneige, Mamonde, Isa Knox, Amore Pacific, Iope

For more information about Korean high-end products, read here.