Hooray For May! A Haul Post feat. OPI, Shu Uemura x Tsumori Chisato and More Kawaii Stuff!

*please forgive me for leaving you breathless with that title.*

Its the last day of May! I cannot believe it's mid-year already, time surely flies by super fast! I'm sure all the filipino shopaholics are gearing up towards all the mid-year sales coming! Im only looking forward to one store, Mango (my favorite!) They have a lot of super cute dresses, tops and shorts for summer this year and I cannot wait to grab them all at lower prices!  Living in a tropical country has the advantage of wearing summer fashion all year long which I love! :)

Even if summer is nearly over for us here in the Philippines (as we have been experiencing random rain showers and thunderstorms recently) God blessed us with a clear sky today. I was out and about with my kid cousin all day, we went to the mall, had his hair cut, had really good pasta for lunch and then I bought him some other stuff he needed for school. It was a nice bonding thing for us. Even if we live in the same house and see each other everyday! :P

But of course, I wouldn't pass up the chance of hauling some stuff for myself,

here are some things which caught my little eyes and left my wallet lighter. ^_~

some OPI Nail Lacquers...

my OPI collection is growing fast! I haven't even posted the first ones I got yet! :D

tested out 10 colors from Lippmann and OPI, but went home with these complexion flattering poopsies. (yep, I got that term from Ursula.) LOL!

I also got a shampoo bar and square tin from LUSH...

travel buddies:)

Before going home, I dropped by by Bon's tangible store in Banawe, Quezon City called Wang-Lai Mart, which is loaded with yummy asian food, kawaii stuff and great beauty buys!  She stocks up on various BB creams like BRTC and L'egere, Shiseido fine toiletries like Tsubaki and some Jill Stuart too! Check out her site wehaveit43.multiply.com if you cant come to the store, she has really good prices for her products, plus she's really nice and polite. :) Im so sorry I dont have pics to show how her store is filled with Sanrio cuteness, I forgot my camera! *ashamed blogger*

So what did I come home with? I got this LE Tsumori Chisato Planet Pouch which sold out in stores a long time ago. Its part of Shu Uemura's Holiday 2009 collection. See my crazy haul post here.

I may be 25y.o. but obviously, I'm not over my stars obsession just yet, the star studs are so beautiful *mesmerizing* and the puffed pouch is functionally cute! :) Can you blame me? I hope not. :D

star zipper pull detail

interior:

as you can see I filled it up with my cosmetic necessities already! :)

I also spied super cute ang-pao's and got some for my adorable god-children...

Sugarbunnies Shirousa and Kurousa in sakura backdrop & Hello Kitty CNY edition!!! ^_^!

that's all for now, i have to get my beauty sleep! Im not getting 8 full hours anymore, but sleep is sleep! hahaha!

 Gingy says goodnight dahlin's! xoxo

"sweet" dreams! ;)

Pantene Pro-V Extra Damage Care Deep Repair Hair Mask

Whew! That was a mouthful huh? How are you lovelies?  I've been busy the past few days working and running errands, plus I'm getting occasional migraines now even without looking at bright lights. :( Oh no, is it because of the bottled Starbucks i've been chugging? *sigh* but aside from that I'm great as always! :)

 Today I'm going to share with you my thoughts on Pantene's Extra Damage Care Deep Repair Hair Mask, yes, its a hair treatment and it claims to prevent split ends and will repair damaged hair strand by strand. 

I bought it because I felt like I needed to take extra good care of my hair especially now that I've been experimenting with DIY hair dyes. Its only Php 199 (approx. $4.50) in our local supermarkets and drugstores. I use it 2-3 times a week, replacing my conditioner at those times. I leave it on for about 5 minutes then I rinse it off.

the pop-top lid is very convenient, its so much easier to get the product unlike screw top jars.

sorry for the blurry photo! :/

Here are my thoughts,

Pro's:

♥ It made my hair smoother, silkier, shinier and well moisturized - leading to less hair fall (which is another concern of mine)

♥ It does not make my scalp itchy.

♥ It does not weigh my hair down.

♥ I will have to update you if it will help keep the actual color of my hair longer.

♥ The pop-top lid is very efficient.

♥ Price is very affordable, I will repurchase SOON as it is LE. (hoarding time!) :P

Con's

☛ Limited Edition, might run out soon and will be difficult to find again.

☛ It will be nice if they had this in a bigger container.

That's it for now, just a quick post today as I'm off to run some errands again. Is it already summer where you are? If it is, load up on the sunscreen! Let us all avoid premature aging and the BIG C! Stay gorge!

♡,

G

ps. does anyone know how to avoid spam in your cbox? please enlighten me. TIA! :)

Weekend DIY: Hoyu Beautylabo Hair Dye in Marshmallow Beige

Hi everyone! I dyed my hair again, and this time I used Hoyu Beautylabo in Marshmallow Beige. Read on to find out how it worked out! :)

 I purchased a Hoyu Beautylabo hair dye from an eBay seller based in Hong Kong (for USD18 including shipping), I was getting the new bubble/mousse type (I even asked the seller to make sure I'm getting the product I want) but they still sent me the conventional hair dye, but since I was very curious on how marshmallow beige would turn up on my hair, I decided not to complain and use it anyway. 

Here's what's inside the box:

Hair essence treatment, coloring agent no. 1(tube) & 2(bottle), instructions(in Japanese) with the gloves inside and the applicator comb.

Before:

Prettia Bubble Hair Dye in Royal brown, the color have turned quite yellowish (in daylight) which I did not like very much. 

get the gloves from the instruction page:

pour agent no. 1 into no. 2, then shake 30 times.

replace cap with the comb applicator:

gently press the bottle to get the dye out like this:

and apply as evenly as possible to sectioned hair:

leave it on for 20-30 minutes then rinse, shampoo hair, apply hair essence and rinse.

et voila! Marshmallow Beige hair color! in natural light:

can you see that dark spot on top of my head? the dye didn't get through it I guess.

with flash:

It may look vibrant here but it looks better, darker in person I promise! hehe. sorry for the messy hair! thats how my hair behaves when not blow dried. ^_^

My thoughts? The shade that I achieved is the one in the middle so its safe to say that the swatches are accurate, however, I will not repurchasing this because its quite a mess to use and I can't apply it by myself, Lurvey helped me a lot in my weekend DIY hence, the dark patch of hair on top of my head. Haha! The bubble type hair dye is more convenient for me. Plus it left my hair with more even color, because its easier to apply. So next time, I'll make sure I get the right product I want.

What do you think? Happy weekend everyone! :)

It's Scorchin' Hot in Here, I Made a Molten Heavanilli...

...accidentally of course! You guys are witnesses to my rants on how hot and humid the summer gets in here and I really want to show you this just so you get an idea on how high room temperature has become.

Exhibit A: LUSH Heavanilli

from this cute heart shaped massage bar...

(photo from LUSH)

to this...

tadah! A Molten Heavanilli cream! LOL. I immediately stuffed it inside the fridge to make it solid again. Can you imagine how messy it would have been if it wasn't inside a plastic bag? yikes! 

and because of that, I'm thinking of getting...

Exhibit B: Suesh Swoosh™ Cosmetic Chiller

its from a local beauty brand Suesh and it retails for Php3,000 (approx. $67) Dimensions are 8' x 9' x 12' inches (LxWxH) it's very small. I'm not sure if its worth getting because I'll probably need two or three for my stuff and for that amount I'd be better off buying a small refrigerator. hahaha! :D

and speaking of refrigerators, I beat the heat by drinking a lot of cold drinks like water, home-made fruit shakes and my current food/drink obsession (which usually last for 2-3 weeks -random fact!), the bottled Starbucks Frappuccino coffee drinks. I like that I can just grab one anytime I want to get my caffeine fix without going out (saves me time, energy and gas money). Plus I love the super cute bottle, which you can reuse as a vase, perfect for making breakfast in bed with a touch of a minimalist floral arrangement aka a lone daisy. ;) 

 Starbucks Frappuccino Coffee drinks

my stocks inside the fridge. :P I took my time taking pictures because the cold breeze felt so good! hahaha!

*sigh* I think Mother Nature is punishing us for all the bad things we have done to her. :( Let's all go green and take good care of our surroundings in our own way. :D

stay gorge inside and out!

♡,

G

Liberty of London x Kamiseta + TFS Haul

 I know a lot of you are familiar with textile and fabric giant Liberty of London especially now that they have their MAC collection and Target collaboration, but locally, they have also worked with women's clothing brand Kamiseta (which simply means 'undershirt' which is ironic because it is usually refers to men) to bring in a limited edition collection for summer which consists of multi colored dresses, button down shirts with bow details at the back and drawstring, short sleeved dresses using Liberty fabrics, I went there to check the LE collection and I didn't go home empty handed, I got a cute floral print dress which is super comfortable and totally suitable for the hot and humid weather we have here.

 

I'll show you the print, the LOTD will come later. ;)

isn't it fun and pretty? I'm planning on taking it to our family HK trip. Of course I'll share photos; If you share some good places to shop and eat! bwahaha >:)

Next, The Face Shop mini-haul, mainly essentials:

top left to bottom right: Raspberry Roots de-puffing eye gel sample, Clean Face White Post-Acne Nighttime Spot Eraser, Plus +1 Pomegranate Lip Care Stick, Nail file and TFS Color Nuance for Cheek in OR202 (shine) *phew!*

I'm seriously in love with this pomegranate lip care stick right now, here shown with my trusty strawberry chap stick for size comparison:

its longer but slimmer, contains lesser product too. I got it for Php265 (approx. $6)

product:

swatch:

texture is similar to chap stick and it moisturizes my lips adequately, difference is the Lip Care Stick gives a vibrant cherry red tint to lips, which makes you look like you just ate a popsicle, very natural and pretty. I usually reapply every 4 hours, not bad eh? I highly recommend it if you're looking for that red stained lips effect without drying the lips! I've been using it everyday since I got it, which is exactly a week now. :)

I also got the Clean Face White Post-Acne Nighttime Spot Eraser for my acne scars, I'm using it now after the Paul & Joe whitening serum, i have noticed a slight difference already, dark spots have lightened up a bit, I hope it eradicates the scars completely soon. Retail price: Php795 quite affordable! No wonder its always sold out.

it turns invisible when blended, sometimes I use it instead of my Diorsnow spot corrector for daytime. :D

I got curious about the blushers because they reminded me of Shu Uemura packaging. Hehe. TFS Color Nuance for Cheek in OR202 (shine)

here it is in the pan, its more vibrant and orangey in person, i dont know why it ended up looking pale here on blogger. :/

the swatch is more accurate:

Pretty orange shade right? 

Honestly, i liked the way it looked when i swatched it because i was so used to pinks and roses the color looked refreshing and summery, but when i tried it on my face it was too orangey for my liking, i have to try it again and blend it very well this time. Quality wise, its quite good for its price (Php395, approx. $8), it is highly pigmented and it has little specks of shimmer which gives off a faint glow to the cheeks. TFS Color Nuance for cheek has 8 shades available, I'm going to try OR201 next, a light peach shade.

Happy Monday everyone! Stay gorge! x.x

♡,

G

Preview May 2010 Scans

Hello everyone! Please excuse my 4-day blogger absence, it was a busy (mother's day-family bonding) weekend, then we had the very first automated elections in the Philippines (which I am truly happy to experience despite the killer heat and long queue) and yesterday i got sick again! Seriously, who gets the chills in the middle of summer? bummer. I'm feeling so much better now than yesterday, but I still have to rest so I cant stay on blogger too long for now. I got scans for the May issue of fashion mag Preview to show you today. I only got to scan the beauty section yesterday before I got the chills, I hope you enjoy it! 

KC Concepcion on the cover urging people to VOTE! How cute is that hat?! :)

tips on how to achieve a smooth, glowing and flawless complexion in the beauty section.

makeup for humid weather conditions, MUA Gela Laurel-Stehmeier suggests silicone based foundations for a lightweight finish and tints rather than powder blushers for a longer lasting color on cheeks. She also loves Lancôme's waterproof mascaras which lasts on our humid weather.

skin saving supplements, like the oral UVA/UVB protection capsules from Heliocare; which i think its very interesting.

tanning must haves:

celebrity nail polish expert Deborah Lippmann on the Beauty Guru section:

I have yet to try Lippmann nail lacquers, they sound promising! 

more sun protection products to keep our skin safe from damaging UVA/UVB rays:

I noticed a lot of people are sick, the weather is really taking its toll on our health so please be safe and keep away from the harsh sun and drink lots of water and vitamins. that's all for now, back to bed I go! :)

The Face Shop NOTD + Over The Top and Sisterhood Awards

When it comes to cheap yet decent quality nail polish, The Face Shop is my go to store for experimenting with colors, loud and bright or muted and sheer, they have it. Most of the time its a hit or miss for me with texture and brush quality, but I usually don't regret because its only Php95-175 (approx. $2-4) I also happen to love their base coat which prevents yellow nails, top coat to protect the polish and nail polish remover which smells so good and is non-drying. 

I was out at the mall the other day doing errands and passed by a TFS store so I checked if they had new nail polish available, to make the story short, I got BR805. I do realize I've been into browns lately.

here's my NOTD with BR805, taken indoors with fluorescent lighting.

It's a light brown shade which I think is very flattering for my skin tone, it's also very simple so I don't have to worry about what accessories to use unlike when I sport bolder, louder colors. As it's quite sheer, i needed 3 coats to get  an opaque color on my nails in the photo. I didn't mind though, 'cause it's very easy to apply, very smooth and glossy, almost foolproof, which is another plus cause I don't always get to have my nails done by a pro and I don't have surgeon-like steady hands. hehe.

For my nail expert beauty blogging friends, how do you prevent bubbles on nails? Does this occur when drying? Because I applied it perfectly but when it dried up, the polish on my left thumb had *sing with me* tiny bubbles. hehe. 

Your comments and suggestions will be very much welcome. TIA! :)

In other blogger news, sweet Jess and Bec tagged me with more awards I can put on my little award corner on 

♡ coffretgorge. Thank you lovelies! I appreciate it mucho mucho! 

thank goodness I don't need to share more random facts because I seriously think you'll get tired of me

of course i have to pass these on to my lovely beauty blogger friends namely:

Nic Nic  (bangbangsheshoots.blogspot.com)

Nat (natgn.blogspot.com)

Lisa (shopnchomp.blogspot.com)

Jessie (applexpie.blogspot.com)

Jian (pinkfishpie.blogspot.com)

Crystal (lovesweetcrystal.blogspot.com)

Yumeko (bittenbefore.com)

Sharonlei (elisharon.blogspot.com)

Ems (twinsouls888.blogspot.com)

Jess (ohhpretty.blogspot.com)

Elle (wifluvelle.blogspot.com)

Ehlee (superwoolu.blogspot.com)

Iris (mylifeasabumblebee.blogspot.com)

TGIF ladies and gent! (yes Rick, that would be you "leg man". kidding! hahaha ^_~)

Review: Asience Moisture Balance Shampoo & Conditioner

The summer heat is almost over here in the Philippines as rain already started to make its random downpours for the past 2 weeks, but the warmth and humidity is still a frienemy for our hair and scalp, which lead me to purchase a new pair of Kao Asience Moisture Balance Shampoo & Conditioner. If you have been following my blog for a while you might know that I adore japanese products, from skincare to point makeup; heck even their junk food! Hello Pocky? That's another story. ;)

Kao Asience Moisture Balance Shampoo & Conditioner

Ingredients include: Water, ammonium laureth sulfate, alcohol, glycol distearate, lauramidopropyl betaine, dimethicone, myristyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, sodium laureth sulfate, cocamide mea, isodecyl glyceryl ether, malic acid, eucalyptus globulus leaf extract, glycine soja(soybean protein), panax ginseng root extract, camellia japonica seed oil, hydrolyzed conchiolin protein, polyquaternium-10, polyquaternium-7, laureth-4, laureth-16, sodium benzoate, butylene glycol, benzyl alcohol, toluene sulfonic acid, potassium hydroxide, caramel, fragrance

Meant for normal to oily  asian hair, the shampoo cleans the hair and scalp very thoroughly without making it feel like its been stripped off its natural oils (moisture balance - check!), rather leaving the hair refreshingly dirt and oil free. Followed by the conditioner, it makes the hair smoother (of course), shinier and smelling like sweet flowers (sorry, I suck at describing scents). It makes my hair feel lighter too which I like very much because its more manageable when its lighter.

If you sniff it straight from the bottle, the fragrance might be overwhelming for the senses, but for me it just means that my hair will smell great after I use it (I love it when my hair smells good!) and it did not disappoint, if you're like me, who involuntarily sniffs your own hair (weird, random fact!), you will love this as the scent can linger the whole day. :)

Only downside is I still have to go to our local chinatown to get it, which means its not very accessible. Price is Php550 (approx. $12)  per  530ml bottle. Also, I'm still alternating between 4 types of shampoo/conditioner (a clarifying shampoo included) to maximize product potential and prevent product build up.

I hope you're all having a good week so far! Stay gorge! ;)

♡,

G

Rustan's Shangri-la Fire Sale

Hello hello! Happy Monday everyone! Thank you for the warm well wishes you have sent me, I'm still  recuperating, but nonetheless better than how I was feeling over the weekend (because my monthly period decided to be such a darling and go with the flu -no pun intended) ^_~

Anyways, I just want to share what I got in my email this morning, as some of my Philippines - based readers would know, the Shangri-la Plaza Mall had a minor fire incident on April 23, 2010 (Papa's birthday!) concerning their storage room for groceries. If you have been to Rustan's Shangri-la, the supermarket is on the basement and the department store (cosmetics and high end boutiques like Gucci, Ferragamo, Tod's, etc.) is right above it so needless to say, the whole of Rustan's might have been smoke damaged, hence the FIRE SALE.

The sad news is, all the cosmetics which were "smoked" will be up for destruction according to the SA from Chanel (including some stuff I put on hold and was about to get the day after the fire! One Chanel Particuliere included! I guess it wasn't meant to be). Aww... poor little poopsies! :( I wonder if they have anything left to sell in there. I might check it out this weekend and let you know if I manage to get anything.

Have a great week ahead! 

♡,

G