September: A Month Full of Life Lessons

Hi reader! What a melodramatic title for a blog post huh? Anyway, I was gonna make a product review but I couldn't get past my sadness right now so instead I'm gonna dedicate this blog post to life. I hope you don't mind me getting all maudlin today, after all, a sorrow shared is half the sorrow. :) For those of you who are interested in this story, please read on, you may learn something from it... But for those who aren't, it's ok, this is gonna be long anyway. Here it goes...

September hasn't been kind to me so far. If you've noticed, I rarely write blog posts, it's because I'm always busy with school. I try to exert all my best efforts to get a good grade specially now that I'm about to graduate. So it totally broke my heart to see a failing grade in one of my subjects. It's like all my effort went down the drain. I cried really hard, not because I failed ( I know I can make it up next time around), I cried because my parents were really disappointed in me. Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever cried because you know you've failed your parents? :(

I learned a lesson from that experience, but I didn't expect there will be a greater and more important life lesson to learn the week after that...

Have you ever met someone who- no matter how far you've drifted apart, no matter how long you haven't seen or talked to each other- will always have a place in your heart? Too cliche? yes, but it actually happens in real life. I know so, because I happened to have met someone like that. :)

Backtrack 7 years ago (*cue the misty background and instrumental music*) we were in high school and I- and the 40 other students in our class- had a classmate who was really fun to be around with. Even if we're not that close, I still considered him as a friend. I also happen to like him a bit too. The reason for all my kilig moments back then. He was my crush from 1st year to 4th year high school, and even after that, (before I had a bf) I still had that special feeling for him. That was what I meant with someone who'll always have a special place in one's heart.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am TOTALLY over that infatuation. I love my boyfriend very much and I know he's the only one for me :) There's a reason why I'm sharing to you all this puppy love nonsense.

So why am I telling you this boring and cliche teenage story?

Because that guy, who was a great classmate and friend, died of Acute Leukemia yesterday, September 16, 2013.

Based on Netdoctor website, Leukaemia, or blood cancer, is a disease of unknown cause where the bone marrow produces large numbers of abnormal cells. This means that the normal marrow is pushed into smaller and smaller areas, which results in fewer cells being produced. Acute leukaemia is rapidly progressive if not treated and involves more immature cells. It develops rapidly from the earliest forms of cells in the immature bone marrow cells (blasts). It requires urgent medical treatment but is generally responsive to chemotherapy. (Read more: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/leukaemiaacute.htm#ixzz2f8RvcANe)

The news of his death really shocked most of his friends. Even if we are not that close anymore, I still cried because the world just lost someone so kind and good. You know that feeling when you are not in close terms with someone anymore but you know that the world is still a better place knowing that he/she is around? That's exactly how I feel.

I can't imagine the sorrow that his parents and his girlfriend is feeling right now, if that happened to me... If my boyfriend passed away, I wouldn't know how to move on... If I had a son that would pass away at such a young age, I wouldn't know how to overcome the grief.

So, I said I learned lessons from these sad events, right? What are those? Of course, I learned to push even harder and to set higher goals for myself. I learned to value my parent's trust because it is not easily earned.

But most importantly, I learned that life is a blessing we must treasure everyday.

When my grandmother passed away last 2004, I learned that you must show someone how much you love them before it's too late. I learned  how to be vocal, to drop all the reservations I have when expressing how I feel and to never be ashamed of these feelings because we never know when the chance to say these feelings will be taken away from us. From then on, I have always worn my heart on my sleeves. I tell my parents how much I love them every time I had the chance. Of course, I never missed the chance to tell my boyfriend how much I love him with all my heart and soul. With the recent death of a friend, that lesson became deeply rooted in my heart and in my mind now more than ever.

To my other half, Jaime, I know you're gonna read this. I love you Jai, with all that I am. Today, tomorrow and for always.

So... these are my thoughts right now. If you've made it to this part of the post, then WOW I am really impressed with your patience and I truly hope you got something out of reading this. :)

Life lesson are sometimes learned the hard way, you get to experience it first hand. You either let it break you or make you.

Yea, life screws us all, fate is playful and unpredictable, but God always has a plan for us. Keep the faith.

In Loving Memory of our Classmate and Friend, Levy Bagunu. (December 2, 1992 - September 16, 2013)


till next time dear reader,

Bench Pretty When Pinched Cheek & Lip Tint Review

Aloha pretties!


I've been neglecting my blog for more than a month now and I've got a pile of stuff that I wanna make a review about! :<

Anyway, I was at Bench yesterday to add some more bra in my closet. While I was paying for my purchase at the counter, I finally saw their cosmetic products there at the cashier table! I've heard about Bench lip and cheek tints for years but I never saw them until now. IDK if I'm just blind or what. @_@

So, I convinced myself that I need a new lip tint, I really need one or else my lips will fall off, and (impulsively) bought myself some much needed Lip and Cheek tint! Tadaaa:

I know right, it looks like black ink in a cute bottle but the color is actually a very dark red when you look at the bottle, almost like violet. The SA said there are two shades, Red and Pink. I got the Pink shade because when I swatched the red one, it looked like violet on my skin! >.<

 What I hate about this is the applicator:

The applicator is the same as the brush in nail polishes! :( I find this really hard to be applied evenly especially because it has a watery consistency. I'm not so sure if I should dot or swipe the tint, sometimes I end up with too much liquid on my lips. lol

For Paraben-haters out there, take a look at the ingredients to check if this is for you:

This baby is packaged in a ziploc which I think is too big considering the size of the bottle.

Here are my final thoughts:

PROS:

• Pigmentation is quite good, 3 dots of tint is enough to make your lips look naturally flushed 
• Affordable! This is only P180.00
• The packaging feels sturdy
• You get a good amount of product that'll last for about 3 months

NEUTRAL:

• It has watery consistency. I'm not really particular about the consistency of the products that I use, but I prefer something that wont slide off the minute I apply it.

CONS:

• The smell! It smells like chemical, plastic and cough syrup. It's bearable but it would've been a hell of a lot better if it doesn't smell like that.
• The applicator. I'm more used to doe-foot lip tint applicators because it helps me apply the tint precisely. Whenever I use this tint I always imagine that I'm applying nail polish on my lips. Mehehe~
• Not long-lasting. I have a habit of biting my lips and this lasted for about 30 mins on me, but hey, that's my fault right? I literally ate my lip tint.
• It's a bit drying, like every other lip tints I've ever tried.

Time for the photos! I am warning you, my lips are gross especially when it's alone in a picture (alone as in without it's buddies, the nose, eyes, ears, meh :\ you get what I mean?)

Ok, so here are the swatch on my hand:

  

The right swatch is one swipe of unblended tint, you can see it's reddish pink and again I put on too much liquid. Once you blend it however, it turns into a light pink color (left swatch).

Here's the product on my lips. BTW, I initially didn't want to do this but I thought it best for you to see it's performance on real lips because the back of the hand is not really the same as our lips right? hoho :$

Here is the BEFORE photo:

what are those white stuff O_O

 I know, the facial hair and all those eeky stuff is gross. If I didn't know this was my lips, I'd think this was a man's! HAHA

After 1 swipe of the tint:

So... It did color a bit, my lips looks naturally pink here (or not?). I guess too much of the product ended up on my pinkie finger because I spread it using my fingers! Medyo unhygienic hehe

After 2 swipes:

wow. I never thought my lips would look like man-lips in a picture :))

Ok, two swipes and a very pink pinkie finger later, I achieved the pigmentation that I liked. Yey!

So, overall, I think this is an OK product considering the price that you'll pay. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. I rate this 7 over 10! ;) 

Thank for reading!

 

July BDJ Box Unboxing: I was WOWed!

Hello there beautiful! Time flies really fast huh? It's already July. I just turned 20 years old last June 29! Hooray (teen no more awtsssu </3). I have been EXCITED for the month of July because (1) my Boyfie's birthday is July therefore FREE FOOD! Yey~ and (2) I am subscribed to the July BDJ Box and it is my first one everrrrr! ommogosh!

mehehe!

Yesterday, July 20, was an awesome day. It was my BF's 21st birthday so we watched Pacific Rim at IMAX theater in SM North. It was his treat, and daaaaaang I really enjoyed it because it was my first time watching a movie in 3D.

BUT I'm sorry if I'm babbling again, so while we were inside the cinema, my aunt texted me that a "box" was delivered at their house and it was for me and that it has a set of Dove products in it! I knew it was my BDJ Box, I didn't expect it to arrive so soon, I thought it would be delivered at the last week of July so imagine my excitement upon reading that text! If I could've flown from SM North to Bulacan, I would gladly spread my wings and fly on full speed just to get my hands on it as soon as possible.

Moving on...

(2 Hours of travel time later)

Tadaa:

TWO BOXES! I was AMAZED! When my aunt said that it has a set of Dove Products, I imagined that the BDJ Box itself is full of Dove products, I never expected it would be two separate boxes. I was jumping up and down, srsly.

This is exactly how I looked like. ♥

 So, lets get to that unboxing part!

Here is the content of the Dove Box:

So much win!!! ~(O_O)~

Amazing right? I immediately thought "dito palang bawing bawi na binayad  ko"

What are the contents?

• Dove Damage Therapy Intense Repair Shampoo, 180mL Php 106.00 (x2)
• Dove Damage Therapy Intense Repair Shampoo, 180mL Php 108.00 (x2)
• Dove Damage Therapy Intense Repair Treatment, 200mL Php 235.00
• Dove White Beauty Bar Moisturizing Milk Soap, 135g Php 52.50
• Dove Whitening Original Anti-Perspirant Deo Roll-on, 40mL Php 83.50
• Dove Whitening Original Anti-Perspirant Deo Spray, 169mL Php 170.00

       TOTAL:   PHP 969.00 !!!

I love the fact that all these Dove products are for damage repair and whitening. I'm not going to lie, I have discolored underarms because of plucking and my hair is not in a perfect state right now so these will really help me, assuming they work (I hope they do!)

Moving on to the cute BDJ Box!

"What matters most is how you see yourself."

Who wouldn't agree that this month's BDJ box is one of the best BDJ Boxes ever, right??? Look at all those stuff!

What's inside that amazing box of happiness?

• Beach Hut Sunblock  Php 399.00
• Too Cool for School BB Cream (sample) Php 219.00
• Enchanted Eyeshadow, Pixie Dust Nude Eyes Php 179.00    
• Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter Php 525.00     
• Foot Appeal Mask Php 279.00
• Sure Slim Voucher Php 1,500.00                         

TOTAL:    PHP 3101.00

Overall, the July BDJ Box amounts to Php 4070.00! And even if you don't count the P1,500 voucher for Sure Slim, all of these still costs Php 2570.00. That's almost 5 times what I payed for. Wow! I am really, undeniably surprised! Mehehe~

This month's theme is Top to Toe Pampering and Redefining Beauty, and obviously the BDJ Team amazed girls all over the country again, this time including me! Yaay :")

Time for a group picture:

Ohhhlala~

I can't wait to road test all these goodies! The best thing about this is that I got everything on my wishlist! I've always wanted to buy a Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter because of the great reviews about it so I can't wait to use this one. I hope the shade will show on my already violet-pigmented lips. (yes i have brownish violet lips and I don't even smoke! Yuck right?) I wish I knew how to put on eyeshadow or else I'd have to give away that Pixie Dust Eyeshadow from Enchanted. And! the beach hut sunblock expires on 2016 so I'd just save that one up for next summer's swimming outings. Hohoho

Fortunately, I didn't go grocery shopping that day because I'm running low on shampoo and deo, now I have those yeeeey! That hair repair treatment has been bugging me for months, I knew I needed to have those for my damaged hair and now here it is and it's Dove! Omygosh >___<

I SUPER LOVE YOU RIGHT NOW BDJ!

I'll post review here soon if I ever find the time. Thanks for reading!

XOXO,

Touch of Grace Spa & Wellness Center Review

Hi there! It's been so long since the last time I wrote a new blog post! Now I'm back with another spa review. Yeyyy! Obviously, I'm still pursuing my adventurous "Spa Escapade" (adventurous escapade? does that sound a bit redundant? oh well.) This time, I decided to have some relaxing time at Touch of Grace Spa & Wellness Center which is located along Scout Gandia, Kamuning, Quezon City.

I found out about this place through female forums giving out recommendations for Couple Spa dates. What got me hooked about this place is that they give you a chance to exclusively use their jacuzzi, steam bath and shower for 20 minutes. I've been interested about this spa ever since I read about it however I was a bit hesitant to try it because I don't know where Kamuning is let alone find Scout Gandia. But now, I am truly thankful that we went to this place because the experience was totally worth it.

What are my first impressions upon seeing the place? From the exterior, it looks just like a cute house albeit the round signage in front where you can read the establishment's name. The inside looks really cozy and peaceful, unfortunately I didn't get the chance to take pictures of it because we went straightly to the wet area! But if you wanna see their place, you can visit their facebook profile here: Touch of Grace Spa & Wellness Center.

What about the facilities? I just LOOOOOVE the jacuzzi! Oh my gosh. It's my first time ever to experience a jacuzzi and I was so excited, I love the bubbles that seems to massage my back as I lay there. I even told my boyfriend to get me one of those someday when we have our own house! lol. I might just keep coming back to TOG just to go dip in that pool of bubbles :3

jacuzzi with bubbles! ~(o_o~)

Aside from the jacuzzi, they also have a steam bath (left side of the pic) and shower (right side of the picture above), but I didn't really used the steam bath. We are not actually fond of steam baths because it's hard to breathe while being smothered by so much steam! So we're happy with just the jacuzzi alone.

How about the staff? The staff are okay, especially Miss Gladys who had the patience to answer all the questions that I asked her through text (I think I was really being pertinent). She's one of the nicest staff I've ever met, I don't really know what her job position is. Our masseuses were also friendly and they made sure that they are putting the right amount of pressure with each stroke. I forgot to tally how many times Genesis (my masseuse) asked me if "okay po ba ang pressure ma'am?" lol

Tell me more about the whole experience! Right after we filled out a form, one of the staff asked us to change our shoes into the white slippers that they provided us. Then they gave us our locker key and led us to the room where the jacuzzi, steam bath and shower is, I don't really know if this is the VIP room, but the massage beds are in a separate room. They told us we can use the facilities for 20 mins. I was expecting that after 20 mins they would go back to the room to tell us that our 20 mins is over but they didn't so I'm pretty sure we stayed inside for about 30 mins. or more before we willingly dragged ourselves out of the jacuzzi for our massage.

The massage was nice, it was sleep-inducing and I loved the unscented oil that they use which feels so warm on the skin. It was really relaxing. Our masseuse also made sure that our privacy was maintained because they really took great care when moving our towels through the massage so as not to let us be "exposed". :) The massage was more of rubbing and palm pressing the muscles and pressure points than stretching and popping joints so if you're a person that prefers this type of massage then this is for you! However, I'm a person who prefers an invigorating massage rather than a sleep inducing one (because I don't really sleep through these things) so this massage experience is really nice but maybe I'll try another type when I visit here again.

Anything for my tummy? They will offer you iced tea, hot tea or hot coffee after the massage and then they'll leave you to rest although they didn't really tell us how many minutes we can stay inside the massage room.

How much must be my budget? Ms. Gladys told me through text that the Couple's Package 1 costs Php949.00 which includes two 1 hour Body Massage with VIP room and exclusive use of the facilities for 20 minutes. However, when we paid at their reception area after the massage, the amount we paid for was Php1,190.00. I didn't bother to ask why the price increased, maybe it also includes the tips for our masseuses because they didn't give us tip envelopes? Or maybe our extra time at the wet area had an extra charge? It's not much of a big deal for me actually.

UPDATE!
There seems to have been a misunderstanding regarding the price of the couple's package. Here's a copy of the reply I received after making an inquiry:

From that text message, I assumed that the Couples Spa Package 1 costs P949.00 so I was a bit surprised when I payed P1,190 at the counter and I assumed (again! I'm becoming assuming!lol ) that the tip for our masseuse was included already on that price. So, to clear things up about the price of Couple's Package, Ms. Gladys sent me this message on facebook:

"This is Ms. Gladys of Touch of Grace Spa. Thank you so much for having a relaxing spa treatment with us last June 21, 2013. It 's our pleasure to serve you with our best.... I would like to apologize regarding our misunderstanding on the Couples Package rate. Please allow me to correct it, the P949.00 rate was for our Father's Day Promo which includes 1.5Hr Body Massage and Facial Treatment valid for single person. P1,190.00 for our Couple Package Rate that includes 2 1Hr Body Massage with VIP Room. I hope you could visit us again whenever you have time soon. Thank you and God bless." 

Thank you Ms. Gladys for explaining things out! More Power and God Bless you as well. :) I can't help but feel guilty that we didn't give tips to our masseuse! oh well... :<

Sorry for the crappy photo! I was in a hurry when I shot this -_- It says "You are about to experience the Touch"

To sum this all up: What I liked most about Touch of Grace Spa & Wellness Center is the fact that you get to use their facilities exclusively for 20 mins. for a reasonable price! Plus, the place and the stuff smells clean and relaxing. I'll rate this experience 4 out of 5 and we might visit them again next time.

Touch of Grace Spa & Wellness Center offers a wide array of high-class and signature services other than body massage. Text them at 0927-220-9070. :)

Till next time! xoxo

Nanny Rose's Queen Bee Honey Wax Review

Hi there! It's been weeks since the last time I wrote a new post! Before I start this review, pleeease say 'Hi!' to my baby Uno right here:

Hi People! I am Uno :P

The abundance of hair all over my legs is almost the same as the amount of hair on baby Uno's little chubby paws, the only difference is he looks cute with all that hair while I just look downright yucky. So... Here comes Nanny Rose's Queen Bee Honey Wax to the rescue! Tadaaaa:

The packaging looks so cute and eco-friendly! How could you resist something like that? hihi! I've had this for a long time now and I've only used it twice. The first time I used it was on my underarms because I'm trying to avoid plucking to prevent underarm discoloration. Then yesterday, I used it again on my large legs and I almost emptied the tub! My legs aren't just large, they are HUGE. The size of my legs creates some kind of a cycle, here's how it goes:

Large Legs---->  Can't wear Skirts----> Always wear jeans ---> Jeans somehow manage to cut off my leg hairs ----> Leg hairs get thick like a man's beard ----> Has large bearded legs therefore can't wear skirts ---> wear jeans all the time!

Well... yeah I guess you know what I'm trying to tell here.

My vanity started to kick in a few months ago, and it kicked me real hard. So now, to atone for neglecting my well-being for such a long time, I'm trying to keep myself well-maintained and I did things like stop biting my nails and polish them, change my hair color, wear make-up and of course, wax the waxable parts!

I bought my Nanny Rose's Queen Bee Honey Wax at Watson's in SM North, I forgot how much this is but it's really affordable!

Here's the description:

I like the fact that it is all natural because it's made from honey and it promises to 'spruce me up in the sweetest way possible'. Lol

Inside the box is the 50g tub of honey wax, 3 reusable and washable pulls and 2 wooden applicators that looks more like an ice cream stick than a spatula for spreading the wax. I also appreciate the steps printed below the packaging because it really helped newbies like me!

LOL there are plates on the background! I took this photo while boyfie and I are eating at Barrio Fiesta, SM North EDSA

It says here that it can also be used as a cold wax but I find it really hard to spread the wax without heating it up because it's very thick and sticky. When using this as a hot wax, it says you need to heat it in a microwave for 10 to 15 minutes, but I don't have a microwave! So what I do is I boil one to two cups of water and then drop the tub in it for a few minutes until I achieve the consistency that I want. Be careful when spreading the wax on your skin because it might be really hot and you might end up burning your skin.
Here's what the tub looks like:

It really smells like honey!

Pros:

• It's all-natural!
• It's affordable
• It's effective when waxing small parts like underarms
• It's easy to use for small parts
• It smells yummy

Cons:

• Leaves a super sticky feeling after waxing because of the honey
• It's messy to use
• For large areas, such as legs, it doesn't remove all of the hairs
• The waxing pulls included easily frays at the edges
• The waxing "stick" really is just a stick.
• It's hard to spread

Will I rebuy? Maybe, but I always want to try new products so maybe I'll look for another one which does the job better. 

Overall, I think this is a good product, although I won't use this again to wax large parts of my body. I'd rate this 3.5 over 5!

Thanks for reading! Till next time!
XOXO,

Watsons Mini Haul: You just gotta love Watsons!

Hi awesome readers! The summer season is at its end and the upcoming school year is fast approaching! Gosh I'm so excited because FINALLY I am going to move out and live in a dormitory. Yeeeey! imagine that? after 4 years of college, I'm now going to live a little bit independently from my parents for the last year of my study. Well I think it's about time, c'mon I'm almost 20 years old this coming June!

I am so excited and anxious at the same time, this is like some sort of adventure to me. Thank God I found an affordable solo room, that way I can be free to do whatever I like because I don't have to mind other people around me.

 Because I was so freaking eggzoited to live on my own, I decided to visit the nearest Watsons Store here at our  place to buy things that I think I'll need while I still have the funds (I have a feeling that my budget will be tighter than ever when I start to live in a dorm). It's a good thing that the newly built StarMall here at Bulacan already have a watsons store!

The plastic bag was so heavy! >.<

Watsons is my ultimate happy place! If you're a beauty junkee then you must agree that you can find anything there for your beauty and health needs, yes??? Whenever I tell my boyfriend to go on an unplanned date with me, he already knows where I plan to go for that 'date' and he's wise enough to keep his patience while we're walking around the Watsons isles and staring at random products for hours. (as if he has a choice? LOL)

Anyway, sorry if I'm babbling again! Haha!

Well, this time I didn't bought any make-up products, I just bought stuff for my bath and body essentials. Here they are:

I absolutely love them! Especially the body scrubs and the lotion because they are in big sizes and the best thing about it is I got them all for a discounted price because they're currently on sale! Hooray for discounts! They'll surely last for months!

This is the first thing that caught my nose: (yes my nose)

Glam Works Deep Moisturizing Body Scrub in Raspberry

 I haven't tried this one yet but it surely smells awesome! It really does smell like sweet raspberries. I hope the scent lasts on the skin for hours. These are under the Buy 1 Get 1 promo for only P129.00. Super affordable, right? I've read a lot of things about body scrubs and it's ability to whiten dark spots, this will be my first time to try it. I hope it works!

Next thing that caught my nose is:

Watsons Invigorating Body Lotion in Apple and Pomegranate

I don't really know what pomegranate smells like, I have eaten a Korean chocolate with pomegranate in it and that tasted a bit weird but I liked it nonetheless. So this will actually be the second time that I'd have something with pomegranate in it's ingredient. I bought this for only P87.00 and it's a whopping 532ml! I think the original price is P100+, I'm not really sure. I super love the apple scent of this, it is so refreshing!

Next products are for my face:

Garnier Pure Active Anti-Imperfections Cooling Roll-On and

Garnier Pure Active Multi-Action Scrub

I've been meaning to try this pimple roll-on for months and I finally got around to buying it. I'm not really sure if the roll-on is in full size, it's only 15ml. I know the facial scrub is a smaller version, it's only 50ml. I actually prefer these sizes because I'm just gonna try them out first if they really work. Both has salicylic acid content and we all know what that does to Mr. Pimple. I got both of them for only P199.00!

BTW, sorry for the crappy photos! I took them all using my Cherry Mobile Flare, and well.. need I explain more?

I'll try to make a review on these items before the schoolyear starts. I know it's weird, but I'm just so excited to do my nightly regimen somewhere other than my bedroom at home. 

Have you tried these products? I'd love to hear some of your comments about them!

Till next time!

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