Hey readers! I did this look over the weekend, but this is basically how I do my makeup everyday. I just switch the lip color or the shadow color.


First of all, I am glad that my skin has behaved lately. I have no major breakouts, my skin looks smooth in general and I am just glowing. It really pays to be religious about taking care of your skin. For this photo, I blurred the background but my face was untouched, definitely no edits. I swear! Maybe I had good lighting too! LOL.

 Without further ado, here are the deets about the stuff that I used to achieve this look.

You can click on the links to read the review about each product.

I only needed light to medium coverage for this look so I used this bb cream. It effectively evens out my skin tone and I have observed that when I am wearing this bb cream, my skin looks great on photos. :) The SPF content is also a big help because let's face it, who doesn't need 50 PA++++ these days? I used my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to apply this for a flawless effect.

3W CLINIC NATURAL MAKE-UP POWDER AKA PALGANTONG POWDER
My powder of choice for setting bb creams. It's really fine and makes skin feel smooth, glowing and velvety to touch. It also has great oil control. This powder is also said to be a favorite among Korean and Japanese celebrities. Feeling celeb naman me while using this. :)


SLEEK MAKEUP I-DIVINE MINERAL EYESHADOW PALETTE IN OH SO SPECIAL
I used the shades Gift Basket (Shimmery Brown), Boxed (Chocolate Brown) and Wrapped Up (Coffee Brown) for this look. Gift Basket is my favorite shimmery shade in this set. It doesn't take much effort when putting this on, I just tap tap tap. I used Wrapped Up to contour my lids. Then I used Boxed to fill up the sparse parts of my brows.


The rose gold shade goes well with my lip color of choice. Pa-fresh and dating.


I chose this color because it would match my light peach dress. It has a hint of pinkish-brown so I didn't end up looking washed out.


I couldn't find my eyelash curler while I was doing this look but the Maybelline Hypercurl Mascara's curved wand has still help me achieve these fluttering lashes.


Hey there!
And that's about it! Nothing big or explosive, ayt? I basically just used what I already had in my makeup kit. In my opinion, these are the most basic must-haves in your makeup kit. If you take care of your skin,  you won't need to pile on other stuff when you have to primp up.

I hope you liked this post. Drop a line or two in my comment section. Maybe share your own favorite products for doing a simple makeup look. 

XO,
Carissa
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Random photos at Lagbangan Eco Park and Beach Resort located at the island municipality of San Antonio in Northern Samar.


Huts, For Staying The Night...
 ...And waking up to this.

 Cafe Ruperto


For Chilling Out...






For Abiding By The Rules :)

For Making Memories...


XO,


Carissa


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*Spoiler Alert*


If you've been loitering on Facebook (who hasn't?) this past month or so, you may have seen the Netflix teaser for "13 Reasons Why". Yep, that one where a highschooler named Hannah Baker introduces herself blah blah blah, which didn't seem quiet out of the ordinary until she mentions that she is dead, and that she has made this set of tapes to sort of explain her thirteen reasons why she committed suicide. Creepy right? What a suicide note!

***

Synopsis

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier.


On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list.


Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

***
So here's the thing: for various reasons I couldn't do Netflix here in the province so I decided to read the e-book version instead. As I was going through the first few pages, I kept thinking how I was just going with the fad and that maybe I'm not really that interested with the story. My thoughts about suicidal persons have always been like, "Too bad they couldn't handle the pressure". Or "Why would I listen to someone who is just trying to justify the deed?"


However, as the story progressed and as I played out the scenes in my head, I couldn't help but look back into my own memories in high school.  We all have different sets of circumstances. We all have our own struggles, whether it's on our family, our personal life, school, or financial level. At the very least, you could be having problems about how to approach your crush. Add the crazy high school situation to that and it's like a circus.


We also deal with things differently. Some of us take things in a stride, some of us find help in others, while some of us, unfortunately, just crumble. It's a reality and I'm so sorry that there are many out there who never get the help they needed on time. 
Hannah Baker.
I take no credit for this photo. I just found it on Pinterest, through Google.
Hannah Baker
On this book, Hannah records a set of tapes before she committed suicide. On these tapes are the thirteen reasons - persons - that made her commit suicide. They are a mixture of boys and girls, men, who have walked into her life and made some irreparable damages. There are them who spread false rumors, one who stalked her. Some used her while some took advantage of her, and abused her. Someone stole her only hope and someone couldn't find a way to listen to her and help her. And then something happened that she couldn't forgive herself.


Hannah talks about a snowball effect and how things just kept rolling up bigger and bigger until it all came crashing down. 



Here's where I mention the cliche: be mindful of even your littlest actions because it contributes to a bigger picture. You could be crushing someone's spirit, or blowing away someone's only hope just by doing one careless act. 
I am also a parent now and one day this little girl of mine will grow up and she will have to navigate the high school jungle. This book will remind me to always be there for her every step of the way. You know, not the prying type but someone that she can talk to. That no matter how everybody else makes her feel small, in Mommy and Daddy's eyes she is the most special girl.

Clay Jensen
Clay Jensen
Clay, oh Clay, who kept wondering why he was on the tape when he was pretty damn sure that he didn't do anything to hurt Hannah. Well, he was right, he never did anything to hurt Hannah. She said that herself on the tape.

However, he's also the classic example of someone who didn't hurt her but was also not able to do anything to help her. Not for the lack of trying though. He came in too late. By the time he was trying out to help Hannah, she has already made up her mind.

He had a crush on her. They shared a kiss. But he was too late.

The book ending was for Clay. He had lost someone he fancied one. He'll take his chance about this new girl that he liked or he might loose her again. :)

***
Right now, someone out there could be going through something really tough and I hope he sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

XO,

Carissa

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I have an oily type of skin so I've always been averse about using any kind of oil, especially on my face. However, I became curious about Human Nature's 100% Natural Sunflower Beauty Oil because of the good reviews from consumers. Moreover, it is said that this product can be used for different purposes: 23 to be exact, according to the Human Nature website. I knew I had to try it out to experience the "miracle".


About The Product
"Experience 23 miracles of the sunflower gold."

A breakthrough bestseller and cult classic, Sunflower Beauty Oil’s premium formulation is rich with moisturizing and nourishing vitamins A, D & E, earning its place as a well-known and well-loved top-to-toe beauty solution.

How does Sunflower Beauty Oil show its miracle magic? Let us count the ways …

1. Helps lighten dark undereye circles
2. Helps lighten dark spots & pimple marks
3. Undereye moisturizer
4. Helps prevent & lighten the appearance of stretch marks
5. Helps soften and lighten underarms
6. Softens feet soles, knees & elbows
7. Removes stubborn makeup
8. Overall body moisturizer
9. Helps lighten fine lines around the eyes
10. Helps soften cuticles and dry skin
11. Makes skin glow and helps keep it youthful
12. Helps relax tired, puffy eyes
13. Helps relieve itch & redness caused by insect bites
14. Nourishes & conditions eyelashes
15. Helps lighten dark lips
16. Adds shine to dull hair
17. Helps ease dry & itchy scalp
18. Helps improve skin condition after sunburn
19. Smoothens dry, rough skin from shaving
20. Helps calm skin & ease rashes
21. Helps relieve symptoms of skin infections
22. Helps hydrate dry patches on face
23. Helps lighten lesions and scars
-text from www.humanheartnature.com

Check out the ingredient list though, because it only has one. This stuff is made of 100% premium cosmetic grade Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil.


The other details: it is 100% free from harmful chemicals; no PEGs, parabens, synthetic fragrances, silicones, etc.

 The oil is light yellow in color.

 It comes in this transparent plastic bottle that is leak-proof. The product is dispensed by a pump so you are able to control how much product comes out.

My Take
When I scanned the list of what this beauty oil claims that it can do, I thought that it would be a great overall moisturizer. That being said, I think I have used this product from my hair down to my soles.

 My hair can be dry and frizzy sometimes so I just put it on before sleeping to add some nourishment.

 I have used it on my face, including the under eyes and it really does great in moisturizing. I have no evidence that it can actually lighten dark circles, scars, stretchmarks or dark spots but there have been studies about that in the past, so I'll just leave you with that. Source

 This also works well as a makeup remover, especially for my mascara. And it nourishes the lashes so that's another plus.

 It's made of pure oil so it's bound to be greasy when applied on the skin. I only this as a facial moisturizer at night because obviously my face would be an oil slick before 9 am at the office, when it's sweltering hot. And facial skin tends to secrete lesser sebum at night, so... As a body moisturizer, I prefer using this during the cold months, when my skin is feeling unusually dry. It also keeps the skin warm because oil traps heat.

 The dry parts of my elbows, knees and soles have greatly benefited from this oil.

 I've heard that oil products can be comedogenic but thankfully I have not experienced having pimples while using this. 

 To Sum Up
I love having this as a backup product and I think that would be biggest reason why I will always want to have this one around.

 Ran out of hair serum? No problem.
No cleansing oil to remove that stubborn mascara? No worries.
Baggies feeling a little dry? SBO has got your back.
Need a little overall moisture because of the drying cold weather. Get a few pumps.

 You won't feel guilty because it's super affordable. It's also cruelty-free, free from harmful chemicals, pro-environment, pro-Philippines, and pro-poor.


Sunflower Beauty Oil//Source: www.humanheartnature.com
Human Nature 100% Sunflower Beauty Oil
Where I Got It: online, www.humanheartnature.com
Price//Size: Php 174.75 for 50 ml, Php 299.75 for 100 ml
Hypoallergenic

XOXO,

Carissa

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Here's a review of the Maybelline Baby Lips 💓Color Lip Balm in Cherry Kiss shade.

*Disclaimer: This is not a paid review; I bought this product with my own money and I'm just sharing my  opinion.*


Like most beauty junkies out there, I love my matte lippies but there are times when my lips just need a breather. That is how lip balms come handy. This tinted lip balm from Maybelline is my current go-to lip balm

About The Product

Maybelline Baby Lips Love Color Lip Balm 
Shade: Cherry Kiss
How Much: Php 88.00 - discounted I think! On BeautyMNL it's Php 99.00
Where I Got It: Watsons in SaveMore Tacloban
Also Available At: Online, drugstores and department stores nationwide

This next generation lip balm claims to give "adult strength care for baby soft lips". It also gives a translucent pop of color and shine and promises up to 12 hours of moisture. It also contains SPF 20.


So here's the lip balm. It comes in a bright coral pink plastic tube with a twist-up mechanism. The balm itself is almost the same color of the tube. It contains 4 grams of product.

It smells like cherry, a little tangy even but don't worry, it's not too overpowering. When applied, it doesn't feel thick or heavy (as opposed to Carmex, if you have tried it) but it's a little bit sticky. It literally melts on contact with the lips and gives a translucent coral pink color that can give you the subtle one for a fresh no-makeup look.

Ingredients

Swatch
Here's the swatch: as described above it is coral pink in color.

In Action//FOTD
Hey, it's me with bare lips. ;)
For reference, the photo above depicts how I looked right before I swiped the lip balm on. Yep, lips are looking dull and a bit dry. See how one swipe of the Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Cherry Kiss changed my look? It's just a subtle flush of colors but it makes a huge difference.

Simple makeup for office. On my lips is the  Maybelline Baby Lips Love Color Lip Balm in Cherry Kiss
For the other claims, my lips really feel smooth and cushiony soft even after the lip balm has worn off. The dry and flaky parts of my lips just comes off easily without blood or pain. 

Wear time is short since it's just a lip balm. It stays for about three hours if you don't eat or drink, it's a lot shorter if you do. However, it's really easy to reapply, so no big deal for me. 

Obviously, it doesn't give a matte finish, so if you wear this underneath a matte lippie, you will get shiny lips. However, you can swipe this on your lips at night, right before going to sleep. Upon waking up, wipe it off with a soft cloth washed with warm water and your lips will be smooth, chap-free and ready for a matte lipstick.

To Sum Up
Life will give you cheap thrills every now and then and with the Maybelline Baby Lips Love Color Lip Balm, you're less than a hundred pesos away from being pretty and healthy-lipped. What's not to love? :)

This product is just as perfect for young girls out there who are trying our makeup for the first time as it is for the many women out there who have tried all forms of lip colors and need to pamper and treat their lips once in a while.

Grab it now! I checked BeautyMNL are there are four color choices for this one: Berry Crush (Berry Pink), Cherry Kiss (Coral Pink), Pink Lolita (Light Pink) and Rose Addict (Rose Pink). Pink is universally flattering and you will surely find your match. My sister has this in Berry Crush and it also looks great on us both.

I will definitely try the other colors when I run out.

XO, 
Carissa

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Here's another long overdue review about the Belo SunExpert Perfecting Shield Tinted Sunscreen. I received this one from Sample Room over a year ago. 


 About the Product

Belo SunExpert Perfecting Shield Tinted Sunscreen SPF 50 PA++++
Price: Php 449.75
Where I Got It: Free from Sample Room
Also Available At: leading department store and drugstores nationwide

Superior sun protection plus that flawless no make-up look!

One of the first tinted sunscreens in the country that offers the superior sun protection you need with the perfect skin coverage you desire. Belo SunExpert Tinted Sunscreen is rated SPF50 and PA++++ for broad spectrum protection against harmful UV rays. Its light tint benefits from Tone Adapt Technology that evens out your skin tone and conceals fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots. And it has Cell Protect defends against premature skin aging.

Ingredients

Packaging
So the product comes in a yellow tube, standard packaging for the Belo SunExpert line. The gold-colored screw cap closes up well. I've carried this product in my purse several times and I've never had issues with the packaging. It's pretty sleek actually and just fits into my small makeup bag. The product is dispensed via this pointed nozzle that has a small hole so you have good control of how little product should come out.

Swatch
Sorry for the photo mix up. That photo on the right is a dollop of the Belo SunExpert Perfecting Shield Tinted Sunscreen and photo on the left is when it was blended out.


In Action
Me me me me me. Barefaced vs one layer of the Belo SunExpert Perfecting Shieled Tinted Sunscreen on my face.
The Belo SunExpert Tinted Sunscreen has a creamy consistency, similar to that of bb creams. It's not runny, just creamy. It has a light scent but I can't quiet determine if it's floral or otherwise, rest assured that it's a light scent that is not bothersome at all when you're wearing the tinted sunscreen.

So, I bet you can see the kind of coverage that it offers based on the photos. First of all, the color is kind of off since it's obviously too light for my skin tone. It covered lightly some of my blemishes, evened out my skin tone and lightened my dark circles but I know how weird it looks on my skin. The SPF content is also quiet high at 50, which I guess explains why I have a white cast on my face. 

White cast and tone mismatch aside, I still give praises for this product's sun protection capacity. I've worn this to the beach and it significantly helped prevent sunburns and skin darkening. I also used this on my daughter's face and thank God she didn't get any sunburns. My husband, who spends so many hours outdoors due to his job also uses this on his face and I swear he gets no sunburns and he has minimal skin darkening. I go for light application on him though because I know that my husband wouldn't want the white cast any more than I would.

To Sum Up
Because it doesn't match my skin tone well, I prefer using this to the beach, rather than using this to the office for example because it really looks unflattering on me. It has light coverage, so sometimes I also use this when I'm running errands when I just need something to lighten up my dark circles or for evening out my skin tone.

I also oil up a lot, so I make sure that I set this with a powder, except of course when I'm using this to the beach. (^_^) Ha ha

What do I say? I love having this one around even if I don't use it that often. It's SPF content is superior at 50, and I love the protection it gives me against skin aging. Even when applied sheer, it can even out my skin tone. I would definitely repurchase it for it's sun protection capacity.




XO,

Carissa

PS. Here's a review of the Belo SunExpert Ultra Gentle Sheer Spray with SPF 50 which I also love using.
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After a million years I'm finally posting a review about this product that I got from Sample Room. Can I not procrastinate? I know, I know. 


About The Product
Pond's Flawless White Dewy Rose Whitening Soft Cream SPF 30 PA+++
Where I Got It: Free from Sample Room
Uneven skin tone, blemishes, and dark spots - these are the most common problems any girl can swear to. By the time you go out of that door, you are prone to skin issues due to sun exposure. Prevent this from happening with the help of the Pond’s Flawless White Dewy Rose Whitening Soft Cream SPF 30 PA+++.

The Pond’s Flawless White Dewy Rose Whitening Soft Cream SPF 30 PA+++ re-energizes your skin to bring back the lost radiance of aging skin cells. The resilient Alpine rose blooms soft petals even in the high altitudes of the Swiss Alps due to its hydrating ability. Pond's Institute uses advanced technology to combine precious Rose Lumiere complex with whitening GenActiv.

How it Works:
Increase your skin’s radiance in 7 days with a formula that brightens and clears up your complexion. Created with GenActiv™ technology, this breakthrough formula reaches deep into your skin to regulate and adapt to the DNA that produces melanin– the first ever skin-lightening cream that adapts to your skin!

FULL SIZE: 10g / 50g
PRICE: PHP 179 / PHP 429
-www.sampleroom.ph

The sample that I got from Sample Room came in the teeny weeny 10g version. It is contained in a white plastic tub with a pink screw cap. The cap closes up well so if you intend to tote around this travel friendly sized cream, you won't have any problems with leaks, etc. So what we have here is basically a moisturizer in a soft cream that promises to brighten and clear up your complexion. It gives a soft dewy finish.

Details x Labels

Just a reiteration of what's been stated above, this product promises to reduce dullness, lighten spots, soften and protect from UV rays.

Ingredients

For those who take the ingredients into consideration, yes is has some parabens, phenoxyethanol and butylated hydroxytoluene (bht).

I also Googled some info about the the alpine rose (Rhododendron ferrugineum). So, it is an evergreen cold-resistant shrub with spectacular, bell-shaped pink flowers, which grows at high altitudes in the Alps. The alpine rose can live for more than 100 years and is able to adapt to very challenging environmental conditions such as large variations in temperature, UV and dryness. High contents in various polyphenolic compounds protect the plant tissue against the attack of radicals. Source

Up Close
Up close, you can see that this cream is pinkish in color. The cream is somewhat mousy in consistency.


In Action
Pramis darlings, walang edit. :)
Yes, that is me IRL. :) Dullness is real. Add some blemishes and uneven skin tone and we're in for a bad skin day. I was so surprised when I saw the before and after application photos. My skin just looked so radiant and hydrated on the right photo, wouldn't you agree? Let's go beyond the photos and I'm telling you that my skin felt so smooth and soft to touch after application. The smell of the cream is amazing too! I don't know if this is how an Alpine Rose smells but it's a really nice floral scent that wearing it already makes me feel beautiful. It doesn't feel sticky and it easily gets absorbed by the skin. 

The only trouble that I encountered while wearing this was when I started sweating and it sort of felt messy on the face . Actually, after application, my skin felt warmer. Methinks it has some oil content or something of the same property that traps heat in the skin. So I won't suggest using this underneath a liquid foundation, especially if you're an oily gal because it doesn't have oil control properties. Plus it doesn't have a matte finish so its bound to make you look shinier than ever. If I must go out and need some coverage, I prefer topping this with a powder foundation. 

To Sum Up
This product has some wonderful promises to begin with - reduce dullness, lighten spots, soften and protect from UV rays. Does it deliver? Well, based on my experience and looking at these photos, I believe it does great in reducing dullness. My skin felt soft and supple too. When applied consistently and religiously, I believe it will also do great in lightening spots, as I have observed that those nasty marks on my chin were gradually healing and fading while using this. Thankfully, it didn't give me breakouts.

If you have oily skin and prefer a matte finish, maybe you could skip this. However, if you have dry and dull skin, I believe this product would do wonders. Moreover, it has SPF 30 PA+++ which could help protect you against those nasty UV rays. It's also quiet affordable and easily accessible at local drugstores and department stores nationwide.

Have you tried this product? Share your comments below.

XO,

Carissa
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Thanks for visiting my blog! Don't forget to follow or drop some comments!

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