Friday, April 18, 2014

Beauty Haul | Essence Makeup

Another Beauty Haul! Haha! This time it's from Essence. :)

I've been watching and reading lots of raves about this brand, particularly their foundations.
They're surprisingly affordable for a foreign brand, which is probably why they're such a hit among Filipinas. I've already tried all of them at least twice now, and so far they're pretty good.

My favorite is their BB cream which I've been using almost everyday for a month now. It provides light coverage so if you don't have much to hide, this will work for you perfectly. I still need to use concealer and powder though. I also love the fact that it has SPF30!

Least favorite would be the mascara. I don't hate it, but it's not the best I've tried. It still smudges and gives me raccoon eyes after a few hours, which is not surprising at all since I live in a very humid country. Good thing it's not that expensive. I'd still use it though but I'll make sure I have makeup wipes in my bag.

Their coverstick is perfect for my shade, but I wish it lasts longer. It also feels a little dry, so if you'll be using it on your under-eye area, make sure you apply an eye cream first. I've only tried their Soft Touch Mousse foundation twice so I still need to use it more to give you a better feedback, but so far it's pretty good. I think it's even better than Maybelline's. :)




Any review request? Leave a comment below or contact me via my Facebook page! :)

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Hair Styling Products | Signature, Heatless Curls And New Hair Color

I grew up sporting really short hair. I was always getting a haircut every month because new haircuts excite me (though some of those cuts ended up as a disaster). It was also practical for me since I always like sleeping a little longer in the morning. Who doesn't love those extra minutes of snooze?!

It was only in 2009 when I was about to graduate college when I started to grow my hair out. When I met Dyms in 2010, I really got inspired to grow it as long as I could so I can style it any way I want. :)

Back to the present, I stopped getting my hair rebonded and finally embraced my natural waves and just go nuts with hair color. I'm currently rocking "Roseo Red" hair color, care of my parlorista neighbor. Haha! :)

Freshly retouched red hair (latest color)

I'm always asked on how I style my hair. Before, I always rely on my trusted Babyliss Curling Iron and heat-protectant spray to achieve my signature curls. (I still use it every now and then especially when I'm going out.)

natural hair (2012)
blonde care of palty (2013)

But when I finally left the BPO industry and lived a normal (dayshift!) life, I no longer have the time to style my hair every morning. Plus, the regular exposure to hot tools will damage my already-fragile hair. 

So what do I do? Heatless curls, baby!

Heatless curls (Blue Violet Hair)

Heatless curls (Faded Roseo Red Hair)

What do I use to achieve heatless curls?

Fantasy Party Volume Curling Cream
I use Fantasy Party Volume Curling Cream. It creates natural waves without the crunchy factor that some mousse gives. It holds the curls for a long time too. This is my go-to hair curling cream. It's my favorite and I use it almost everyday. And did I mention it smells really good, too? :)


Snoe Hair Heroes Super Fresh Texturizing Spray
I also use Snoe Hair Heroes Super Fresh Texturizing Spray to achieve the perfect beach waves hair. My only woe about this product is that it dries my hair out (probably because of the sea salt ingredient). I rarely use this because of that.


Richenna Volume Up Magic
When I feel like my hair feels a little limp and flat, I spray some Richenna Volume Up Magic. It works well for both straight hair and curls.

So these are what I'm currently using to style my hair. Wanna know what hair care products I'm currently into? Check this out. :)


Any review request? Leave a comment below or contact me via my Facebook page! :)

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Beauty Haul | Etude House

It's been a while since I last purchased anything from Etude House. It's probably been a year or so (I love their eye and lip makeup remover!). I usually shy away from their counter/boutique because I always thought their products won't suit me. But after watching lots of Korean makeup tutorials on Youtube, I caught the K-Pop bug again and ended up with this haul. :)




I finally found a Korean BB cream that matches my shade and skin type! I'm also digging lip stains and gradiant lips lately since it's summer. The hair products smells sooo good I couldn't leave without them. 
I purchased everything at Etude House SM Megamall. :)

Any review request? Leave a comment below or contact me via my Facebook page! :)


Thursday, April 10, 2014

Vikings Luxury Buffet SM Megamall | Sinfully Good

If indulging in this kind of decadent and delicious food is a sin, then yes, I am a sinner.

I come from a family with a good appetite for food. I've had my fair share of experience in dining at buffets - both low-end and high-end. Going in luxury buffets could be extravagant for some, but think about the kind of ingredients and how the food is meticulously prepared in these places. I'm sure you'd be willing to pay the price, and that is how I feel about Vikings.

Vikings is the biggest buffet restaurant in the country, and they intend to keep the title. With an extremely wide variety of food choices, I'm pretty sure there's something for everyone (even the pickiest eater with OCD). 

They recently opened their newest branch in SM Megamall's Mega Fashion Hall wing. This particular wing is very different from Mega A and Mega B. It houses foreign designer brands and looks a lot like a hotel. It's very upscale! Vikings took that theme to another level by having a design that gives you the feeling of being in a museum instead of a restaurant. Every dish is a masterpiece by their chefs, and everyone is invited to "paint our palate" with the different colors of cuisine that they offer.

Interiors
It's probably the fanciest buffet restaurant  (inside a mall) that I've been to. Let me just clarify: it's fancy without the feeling of snobbery. Hindi nakakailang, but at the same time it feels luxurious. To make it more accurate, it's comfortable yet very sophisticated.


Food
Of course, I cannot say anything bad about their food. This may sound hyped, but it's REALLY good. You have to try it to understand what I'm saying. From the number of selections, the presentation, the innovation and how everything is well thought out, they really know what they're doing.

Are you a picky eater?
They have several dishes that you can customize yourself. You can customize your pasta, pizza, shabu-shabu, desserts and more. My favorite would be their pizza. This is the first time that I've tried a pizza with an egg on top of it.







Do you love pasta? You'll certainly get a kick out of this. They have their own pasta maker. As in the one that you can only see on Asian Food Channel or Food Network. 






I also love how they innovated and revolutionized Filipino food. Crispy Pata in Kare-Kare? Never thought of that (and I love Kare-Kare and Crispy Pata on their own), but it works!





Like what I said earlier, they intend to stay on top of their game. In line with that, they come up with their own version on foods that are on trend. Katsu? Cronuts? (not in photo) They have it! 




Ready for more food photos? Game!




























































Chef Ross! <3

One more thing. I'm also impressed on how organized they are. I accidentally bumped a guy holding his drink. It was embarassing! I immediately apologized to him, and fortunately he was nice enough to not make a big deal out of it. Good thing his drink spilled on the floor and not on his shirt! (I'm really, really sorry!). A staff member immediately messaged (via a bluetooth headset) someone to take care of it, and in less than a minute the floor was clean again like the incident never happened. It's like Vikings is a well-oiled machine that operates smoothly. They know what to do in every situation.

From the food that they serve, the kind of service they provide, the interiors and design, and the people who works hard to give guests the best experience, hats off to you guys. These factors make every peso spent worth it. You really can't put a price on that. :)

Congratulations to Vikings! More branches, please! :)


Vikings SM Megamall is located at 4th Level of Mega Fashion Hall. For promos and discounts, visit their Facebook page. You may also visit their website www.vikings.ph.