Rowena Wendy's posts with tag: beauty
 Hmmm... I've been seeing this ETC All-Good Card advertised on ETC for some time now. They never say how you can get one though... they simply said to log on to http://www.etc.com.ph to know more. Well I did just that and guess what? According to the website you have to stay tuned to ETC to know how you can get one. Well I've stayed tuned and logged on, and still no go.
I finally got my hands on an actual card when my sis-in-law, who's the marketing officer of MALDITA, managed to score some from an event. MALDITA is one of ETC's partner establishments and so there were some cards at their disposal. The card came with a small booklet which listed all the perks you can get by simply flashing them your ETC All-Good Card. Here are a few of those perks to give you an idea: TimeZone - P200 worth of load for only P160
Lancome - Once a month free makeover service and skin analysis
Ebisu - Free dessert for P500 purchase
Fuzion Smoothie Cafe - Get P300 GCs for every P1000 purchase
Skin Food - 10% discount on cash purchase + free makeover + free product sample The ETC All-Good Card has over 50 different partner establishments. Now if only they'd say how a person can get one... anyways if I ever find out I'll be sure to share.
 I am not a fan of Shu Uemura Sweet Lip Gloss.
It's sticky, which makes application a pain. Just about the only good thing about is the sweet candy smell and taste. Although the colors are bright and pretty they are not so obvious when actually applied. If your lips are dry, then tough luck because you can't apply it straight on because it's going to make a mess of the dry flakes of skin of your dry lips. Your lips will have to be in good condition for it to give you a wet, glossy finish.
My little girl loves the sweet candy smell and taste though... 
 I have combination skin which tends to get greasy when it's humid. It has always plagued me because even with powder and make-up the oil still shines through and I look horrid in pictures. A lot of the time I have to Photoshop the oil away from my face.
Anyways I read about Awake Sebum Regulating Lotion in one of Marie Claire magazine's Tried & Tested features and was lucky enough to have bought a bottle at 50% off during Rustans' employee sale some weeks back. I must say it really works. I applied the lotion at around 11am and I still wasn't shining come 5pm. My face would usually shine like a mirror a couple of hours after applying face powder but not with Awake Sebum Regulating Lotion.
 | Category: | Video Games | | Genre: | Other | | Console: | Other |
Love and Berry: Dress Up and Dance! is an arcade game available exclusively at Q Power Station. My 3-year old daughter Keirra is sooo crazy about this.
One game costs 28 pesos. Swiping your power card on the terminal activates the game and a fashion magic card is dispensed. You can get either a Hair and Make-Up card, Dress Up Card, Footwear Card, or Special Item Card (the rarest of all). The player chooses either Love (brown-haired girl) or Berry (black-haired girl) as her character and proceeds to swipe the fashion magic cards she has on hand to dress up Love and Berry for the venue of choice. You can go to the seaside, the disco, the ball, fashion street, street court... but you have to dress appropriately to get max points. After dressing up, you get to dance in your chosen venue by pressing the buttons in time to the beat of the music.
It's a very simple game but the graphics are very pretty and anime-sque. My daughter loves collecting the cards and dressing up Love and Berry in the arcade. The down sides to this are you can't play at home (although in Japan there is a Nintendo DS version which has a peripheral which reads the fashion magic cards) and the game does cost 28 pesos a pop.
So kikay... :D
Yes, it's officially day 2 of my haircut and wouldn't you know... it withstood the shampoo test. Usually I'd come out of a salon looking perfect because of the blowdrying and styling that occurs after the cut, well I also told Alex that when I go home and wash my hair it instantly reverts back into an unmanageable mess. Well, this particular cut actually became more tame and manageable AFTER I shampooed and dried my hair on my own -- and my hair LOOKS like hair, not the rebonding nightmare from a few years back. Will wonders never cease... 
 Last November 2006, I was lucky enough to be chosen for Girlfriend magazine makeover -- which entailed a cut and full coloring service from Nikki Bacay of Traffic Salon using Schwarzkopf products. The results were amazing, and after several months, I wanted more color but wasn't quite ready to cough out 5k for it. I got a L'oreal Feria Color 3D kit in Pear Blossom from Preview magazine and decided to try it out for myself. Since I had given up rebonding a few years back, my hair wasn't chemically treated anymore and I could actually use those L'oreal home coloring kits. I followed the package directions and ended up with the nice color which was quite evident in my Yummy Magazine appearance. Not bad for a DYI job! If I can do it, so can anyone... haha. I did read somewhere before though that Feria isn't recommended for chemically treated (i.e. permed, relaxed, straightened, rebonded) hair.
left picture: haircut by Kaori Yokoi of Shuji Kida Salon last July 29, 2007 right picture: haircut by Alex Carbonell of Propaganda Salon yesterday, Sept. 24, 2007 I've found a great hair cutter / stylist in Nikki Bacay of Traffic Salon, but the kikay in me still wants to experiment and test various waters. Last year Summit stylist Pia Rojas recommended I go to Alex Carbonell of Propaganda -- and yes, it's been on my to-do-list since. Alas I met Kaori Yokoi of Shuji Kida Salon earlier on because of my hubby's quest for a Japanese hairstyle so I had my hair cut by her first. My take on the two cuts? On Kaori: Hmmm, I was kind of disappointed since she only cut the very edges and tips of my hair. She said she was fixing the extreme layering of my last cut (which incidentally is by Nikki Bacay of Traffic Salon). She said though that since the rough edges are gone, my hair should feel better. I was impressed with her blowdrying style, she used her fingers for most part and didn't stretch my hair taut as is the usual practice in most salons (yes, she did everything herself except shampooing!). She also didn't skimp on the conditioning products she used on my hair. Kaori said she can do more to my hair if I have the back part magnetically straightened by her. After my cut, it looked as if I didn't really have a cut... and I paid a hefty 2.5k pesos for it too. On Alex: As I've mentioned earlier, Alex comes highly recommended by Ms. Pia Rojas and Pia has seen firsthand how difficult to style and unmanageable my hair can be. "Kayang-kaya ni Alex yan!" Okay, that sounded promising. Don't know why it took me almost a year to finally pay Alex a visit. Anyways Alex saw my hair and was perfectly calm (unlike many other stylists in the past who would go into a panic). He's such a nice, accomodating guy -- very easy to talk to. Anyways Alex chopped off about 4-5 inches of bone dry hair and gave me bangs! Wow, I haven't worn bangs in more than a decade. Blowdrying is a science here too -- not the usual pull your hair taut method. Alex gave me pointers on how to blowdry so that my hair wouldn't look buhaghag. Anyways the above picture is the result... and it set me back 1.2k pesos. Both Shuji Kida and Propaganda salons are immaculately clean and have excellent service. Shuji Kida Hair Salon
G/F City Center Bldg.
338 Ortigas Ave., Greenhills, San Juan
7269928
Propaganda Salon
3/F Greenbelt Mall 1
Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
8934098
 I love Kiehl's products in general, but I'd have to say that this particular one doesn't deliver what it promises (the label is pictured on the right).
Yes, it's gentle... but it's so gentle that it takes a lot of product and repeated applications before it can do the job of removing your eye make-up. Eye shadows are no problem, it's the eyeliner and mascara that Kiehl's Supremely Gentle Eye Makeup Remover has trouble with. It takes me at least 2 cotton buds per eye soaked in this to completely remove eyeliner (whereas it takes only one bud with Shu Uemura's Cleansing Oil), and countless more buds (say 5-6 per eye) to remove water-resistant (not waterproof) mascara. After the cotton buds, you'd have to use a cotton ball over your entire eye area to make sure everything is off. I used Shu Uemura's Cleansing Oil and it took two cotton buds and a single cotton ball do rid my eye area of ALL make-up.
This is not to say that it doesn't have its uses. I find it really efficient in taking make-up off the rest of your face... but then that's not really what it's for.
 Facials are a rare treat for me. For one thing I can't be bothered to go somewhere to have my face done in between driving our kids to and from two different schools, among the list of other things to do.
Using Origins Modern Friction is like getting a facial in the comfort of your own bathroom. You simply rub the scrub all over your face and then rinse it off. I can't believe how smooth and flawless my skin felt right after. Even the little bumps that would form at the sides of my nose (product residue or simply grime build-up?) were totally gone. I could've sworn my face felt exactly like it did right after my basic facial at Facial Care Center.
Anyways here's the product blurb from the Origins website: Skin-refining Rice Starch, cushioned in cream, shows real affinity for rapidly removing sluggish cells, uneven patches and signs of skin damage and discolorations. Lemon Oil kick starts the process of illumination. Another age-sweeping action: skin-menacing molecules are mopped up. All while Aloe keeps skin calm and comfy. There’s no ouch, extra steps or other complications. No redness or flaking follows. The before-and-afters are amazing. Signs of fine lines and size of pores appear to shrink in size. Skin looks perfectly polished, smooth and luminous. And the perk-me-up aromas of Bergamot and Peppermint help you look on the bright side.
All true, I tell you.
 I use a wide array of hair products -- everything from daily conditioners, leave-in treatments, and anti-frizz serums. Even if some of them claim to leave no residue, using them on a daily basis really weighs down my hair. Without using a clarifying shampoo at least once a week, my hair feels like it's thickly coated with something. It becomes lackluster and no longer responsive to my daily rituals.
I bought Thermasilk Clarifying Shampoo from Hi-Top Supermarket several months ago and really felt the difference after using it. My hair felt so clean and fresh, ready to take on anything again. I ran out of it some time ago and it took me around a month before I could buy a bottle again -- just yesterday. My hair felt so icky until last night when I was finally able to shampoo away all the residue. There is a down side though, this shampoo is so effective it can leave your hair on the dry side so I bought a Thermasilk Moisture-Infusing Conditioner to counteract that.
Thermasilk Clarifiying Shampoo comes in a 400ml bottle and costs around 196 pesos at Hi-Top Supermarket.
 I'm not really fond of mascara. I have naturally dark and thick lashes so I don't deem it as something indispensable. I also have a traumatic experience with waterproof mascara. During a Good Housekeeping event I was lucky enough to be made up by Jigs Mayuga who used L'oreal's latest waterproof mascara on me -- and it was almost impossible to remove afterwards! It took me hours of dipping cotton buds in eye makeup remover and running them over my lashes repeatedly until my eyes were stinging and red before I was rid of it.
Shu Uemura Fiber Xtension Lengthening Mascara is incredibly lightweight, easy to apply, and clump-free. It's feels like you're not wearing any mascara at all (my lashes always feel heavy when I use mascara but not with this!) and yet you can see its eye-enhancing effect. It comes in basic black and other fun shades like bronze, blue, and green. It's not a pain to remove either, it comes off with a cotton ball and eye makeup remover in a jiffy.
This really is the best mascara I've ever used.
 My hubby decided to get a haircut at Shuji Kida Hair Salon at the City Center Bldg. on Ortigas Ave. (where Bench's Fix Salon is also located). He's somewhat obsessed with the Japanese look for his hair, and he told me to get a cut from the Creative Director Kaori Yokoi who used to be based at Shuji Kida's Beverly Hills outlet. Kaori charges 2.5k pesos for women's cuts and 2k pesos for men's cut. What the hell. I decided to take the plunge.
But wait, it wasn't that simple. Being the true professional that she is, Kaori first took a good look at my hair -- analyzing the texture, shape, condition... everything. That was a first for me. When I went to Propaganda Salon before and got Jing Monis to make my hair over it ended in disaster since he completely disregarded my hair's texture and gave me his signature layered cut which works only for naturally straight hair. Sure enough after I shampooed and the effects of Propaganda's blow-drying wore off, I was stuck with an unrecognizable fluff which was supposed to be my hair.
Kaori asked me questions like when my last haircut was, if I wanted to get my hair straightened, etc. After much thought Kaori told me I had two choices: either I grow my hair out for the next 5-6 months (she needed more hair to work with a new style for me) or partially undergo Shuji Kida's exclusive magnetic hair straightening procedure (just for the back portion of my hair) to give her the length she needs. She said that with my present hair she can't do anything style-wise. She told me to think it over and give her a call when I decide. Kaori's there everyday except Tuesday.
I was really impressed by Ms. Yokoi's professionalism. She was completely honest with me, she didn't jump the gun nor promise the moon and stars just so the salon would have some business... and she knew I was ready to spring for her 2.5k peso haircut.
Anyways I'm still thinking it over, but whatever I decide I'm definitely getting my next haircut from Ms. Kaori Yokoi of Shuji Kida Hair Salon. You can call Shuji Kida Hair Salon at 7269928. The place is so immaculate and sports this totally zen atmosphere to boot. Regular cuts from their Shuji Kida-trained Filipino staff costs 400 pesos for men and 600 pesos for women. A cut from Shuji Kida himself will set you back 6k pesos.
For more on Shuji Kida the man, visit http://www.kidacollage.com/shuji_kida.html
I'll definitely review this salon when I finally get my cut!
 I've always preferred loose powder to pressed powder. I don't like the fully made-up cakey look and I just use powder sparingly to keep my face from becoming a shiny spectacle.
Incredibly light and fine, Shu Uemura Face Powder gives your face that fresh and natural look. It's like you're not wearing any powder at all. It looks and feels so good! I got the sheer colorless variant because that's what the Shu girl in Tokyo recommended, my mom bought the matte darker-shaded variant and got addicted as well.
Shu Uemura Face Powder comes with a powder puff you can use for application. You can also buy one of their luxurious face brushes to go with it if you prefer.
There is one problem though... L'oreal Philippines' pricing for Shu Uemura products is akin to highway robbery!!! I bought my face powder in Tokyo for about 1,200 pesos. My mom bought hers in the US for about 1,500 pesos. Here in Manila, it costs way more than 2000 pesos. If I'm not mistaken it's around 2.7 or 2.8k, about double the prices in Japan and the US.
 I've long since abandoned hair rebonding because I can't stand having it done 2-3 times a year just so I can let my hair down. I really, really hate it when the wavy roots grow out and the rest of your hair is stick straight.
I got a good cut from Nikki Bacay of Traffic Salon and just let my hair be with its natural texture -- which is thick, coarse, and a bit wavy (the waves got tamer after having two kids though for some reason). But I still need to use a bit of styling products to make it fit for letting down, and L'oreal Studio Line Hot Straight is one of those I've tried (the bottle on the left).
L'oreal Studio Line Hot Straight is a cream that you're supposed to use when you want to iron or blow-dry your hair straight. I'm not into doing those either since I don't have the time nor patience. I just want something that will help me tame my mane. Many online reviews already affirm that Hot Straight will make your hair poker straight until your next shampoo when used with a straightening iron or hair dryer. I wanted to try it for a different purpose.
The Hot Straight cream smells fruity and has a rich lotion-like consistency. The instructions say to use a nut-sized amount for your whole head, and I say a chestnut-sized amount to be exact. You work it through your damp hair from roots to tips and then blow dry. When hair is fully dry, that's when you iron or do whatever it takes to heat-straighten it. That's how you're supposed to use Hot Straight.
For my purposes, I work in a chestnut-size amount through my hair and then brush it to the direction I want while drying it with a blower. The result? Behaved hair with body. That's the marvel of this product -- it's actually non-sticky and non-greasy unlike most anti-frizz, hair-taming products. It's like not putting anything on your hair -- incredible!
**Note: My hair is color-treated and has loose natural waves and underwent no chemical straightening procedure whatsoever. I can't vouch for how this product will work on rebonded, relaxed, or straightened hair.
 I've always wondered what it's like to get a hair treatment from a spa, since my hubby and son are still away and my little girl takes afternoon naps I decided to do it Easter Sunday afternoon. I went to The Spa at the Podium and decided to try the Moor Spa Hair and Scalp Treatment. It costs 1k pesos, about the same price as hair treatments from reputable salons. Moor Spa is a brand of spa products derived from Austrian black mud, you can check it out at http://www.moorspa.com. The treatment started with the therapist asking me to sit on one of the lazy boy recliners with a towel under my head. She then massaged the back of my neck and shoulders. Then she put what she called "complete oil" on my hair and massaged my scalp and forehead. The oil would keep the mud from sticking to my scalp later on. She also massaged my head with something she called a "tension balm", it was mentholated and felt very cool and refreshing. Then she also put another kind of oil called "hair revitalizer" (or was it "hair vitality" -- I can't recall exactly) and massaged again. After all the oils, she combed in the Moor Spa black mud and covered every strand with it. My hair was then exposed to steam for the next 15 minutes. After steaming, she made sit up and once again massaged my shoulders and a bit of my back. She then handed me two small vials of Moor Spa shampoo and conditioner (both of which smelled exotic). I was asked to take a shower to remove all the oils and mud from my hair. It was a nice experience overall, The Spa branch at Podium is immaculate -- spotlessly clean and very well-designed. The staff are extremely helpful and courteous. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I not been stressed by all the scampering back and forth from Podium to Megamall due to Powerbooks' Easter Egg Decoration Contest... Did it do anything to improve my hair? Well my hair does feel more moisturized, but I think the effect will last a few days tops. You can call The Spa in Podium at 6388588.
 Celeteque Facial Moisturizer can be considered almost perfect -- it's extremely cheap and effective plus it's perfect for the summer since it's light and leaves no greasy feeling.
Celeteque is a clear, fluid gel which is absolutely fragrance-free and hypoallergenic. My face gets very dry after washing to the point that my cheeks are rough when you touch it. After putting this on, my face is suddenly soft, smooth, and supple. It doesn't feel like you put on anything. The product is absorbed so fast nothing is left -- just your beautiful bare skin.
The best part is, Celeteque is really cheap. It's about 200 pesos (190+ from Mercury Drugstore) for a 100ml tube. Now if only they could find a way to incorporate some SPF into it...
| Start: | Mar 1, '07 | | End: | Mar 31, '07 | | Location: | Bobbi Brown counter at Rustans Makati |
Inside Preview Magazine March 2007 issue is a coupon you can cut and redeem for two 5ml tubes of Bobbi Brown SPF 15 foundation at Rustans Makati. They'll give you the shade that matches your skin!
 I'm guilty of not getting enough water to drink so I often get dry and chapped lips. If you're like me, Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 is the answer to your problem!
Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 is a fragrance-free and transparent gel you squeeze out from a tube and apply to your lips. It's quickly absorbed so your lips will be smooth in no time. There's no sticky and uncomfortable feeling. Other lip balms I've used make me feel as if I have an extra set of lips covering my real lips. It's perfect if you want to wear lipstick but can't because of all the chapping skin. This product makes it possible in a jiffy.
Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 has SPF 4 to protect your lips from the sun. There's also a variant with SPF 15, but that one is called Kiehl's Lip Balm SPF 15 and is slightly more expensive.
At the moment, I've heard that Hong Kong is the closest place you can buy Kiehl's products from. L'oreal launched it here in Manila last year but I have yet to see it become available locally.
 I'm not really the type whose face gets acne-infested, in fact I've never been to a dermatologist. The closest was a couple of free sessions at Facial Care Center and that's that.
I do get a pimple every now and then though. Ever since 1998 I've been using Origins Spot Remover to get rid of it... fast. This little baby is a lifesaver. I just apply it on the pimple and it disappears in a day or two. No scar, no dark mark... it's as if it never happened.
I made the grave error of trying Pan-Oxyl by Stiefel on a zit on my chin a couple of weeks ago. As usual, I got it for free as part of Stiefel's gift pack from Health Today magazine. It succeeded in drying the skin all around the pimple but the pimple was still one big living bump. It was darkening to boot! Oh the horror! In fairness though Pan-Oxyl worked for a tiny little zit on my forehead, but I guess that's the extent of its effectivity -- tiny little zits that are more like visible whiteheads and not a full blown pimple.
I quickly switched back to Origins Spot Remover for that big bumpy pimple on my chin and just after two nights it's significantly smaller. By Monday I guess it's going to be history. It only lasted this long because I tried to get rid of it via Pan-Oxyl... it's back to Origins Spot Remover for me.
Oh yeah you can actually get Origins products at Rustans Makati. Their price is almost the same as the US price, if not just a little higher.
 I've been using this moisturizer for 2 years now. Although I am in the habit of trying out a wide variety of skin care products, I always go back to my trusty Origins Perfect World Moisturizer.
This moisturizer glides on like a dream. You can feel your skin's texture improve the moment you put it on. It's rich but it's light -- I never would've thought such a combination was possible. It has a refreshing and natural citrus scent that does not come across as perfume (it seems rather herbal in nature), so going to sleep with this on your face is just lovely.
Origins A Perfect World moisturizer also provides protection against free radicals and anti-oxidants that can make your face age before it's time. I guess it works because a lot of people say I look young for my age, ha ha.
Moisturizing, aromatherapeutic, and maybe about quadruple the price of drugstore brands like Olay and Ponds but well worth the investment since one jar can last 2 years if used only at night. It takes little to get a lot of coverage since the product is so rich.
It's still the best of all the moisturizers I've used, and I've used a lot...
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