Here's a close up look at the tube. This pulls a reddish brown on this photo but let's discuss the shade later with the swatch below. The tube comes in an eye-catching magenta. Hard to miss, just like it's creator. But let me tell you this: the packaging doesn't look and feel cheap nor flimsy and it has a considerable heft to it.

Vice's website describes this shade as mauve brown. Again, this might look reddish brown in this swatch but IRL, I love the mauve tone.

...and this is me, wearing Pak Ganern, wearing just a hint of smile because "pak ganern din ang muk ap game ng lola mo" hahaha. I love wearing brown lipsticks. It's a recent discovery that brown flatters me. The first brown lipstick that I tried was the Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick in Nude Nuance. I am actually reminded of their similarities but Nude Nuance was on the rosy brown side. Another favorite is the Jouer Long-Wear Lip Cream in Cerise Noir which is a cool black cherry. You can click on the bold links to read a review of those products.

Vice Cosmetics Good Vibes Matte Lipstick "Pak Ganern" Rating: 

Packaging: 4/5

Quality: 4/5

Performance: 3.5/5

User Friendliness: 4/5

Overall Rating: 3.87/5

Would I purchase it again? Yes

Would I recommend it? Yes

Have you tried other Vice Cosmetics products? How was your experience?

BTW, as I write this, there is an ongoing Summer Sale at www.vicecosmetics.com.ph. I bought some backups of their Duo Finish Foundation (will review that one too!). The order will be fulfilled upon lifting of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon. 

They say good things come to those who wait.

So I'll. 

XO,

caRissa ♥️

Somehow I stopped counting the days - how far along are we in this Community Quarantine, I am not sure. I just know that it's been a little over a month. 

I was anticipating this moment. How will the situation be a month after the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon? A month after the exodus from the National Capital Region. How will Allen, Northern Samar be? A town that has three ferry terminals; the gateway to Eastern Visayas. In truth I was preparing for the worst. What are the chances that an asymptomatic COVID19-positive person would be coming home to Region 8? Huuuuge!

But as of this writing, Allen, the town I've called home for 5 years now is COVID19-free. I hope it stays that way. We are breathing easy, but are still cautious. During the first and second weeks following the declaration of the Community Quarantine, I was feeling paranoid. It didn't help that I hung out on a daily basis with frontliners: policemen who manned checkpoints, control points and highways. Thankfully, family and friends here are all doing fine. Wearing face masks, washing hands and physical distancing, among others is the new normal. We're on our toes. 

Now, it would have been nice, if it didn't turn out that the 5th recorded COVID-positive case in Region 8 was from my hometown of Burauen, Leyte. That moment when your brain goes what, why, how, and why. How'd the virus end up there? That's the thing about COVID19, you won't know that you're carrying it until it's too late. You could be spreading it without your knowledge. That is why it is important to follow the protocol for quarantine if you have travel history. 

Well, my annual sojourn with Celestine during the dry season across the San Juanico Bridge has been canceldt indefintiely. Our latest vacay to Leyte was also fraught with perils. What was the name that bagyo again? Well, between this and that, we truly live in interesting times. Thankfully, technology allows us all to stay connected. My siblings are balls of energy, I bet they are bouncing off the walls as I write this. But they love staying in too, much like me so I bet they're not feeling cooped up. My mother loves doing groceries in Tacloban every weekend, bet she's missing that. I heard my father just finished reading Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Wow! And they also watched the movie.

Under the tunnel of lights. Christmas 2020 infront of the Burauen Municipal Hall.

Looking at the current statistics has kept me hopeful. Around this time, the total number of recoveries has exceeded the total number of deaths. The daily recovery rate also outnumber the daily death rate. The daily confirmed positives though still run on the 200s and I hope it goes down until we can finally flatten the curve.

This is the screenshot of https://endcov.ph/dashboard/ and these were the numbers at around 10:00 PM of April 20, 2020. These days, I frequent DOH's Facebook Page as well as this site. Graphs have a way of putting things in perspective.

The question hangs thick in the air. How much longer are we going to be under community quarantine? It has been extended once, as of this date. We wait for the president's announcement. If we are to consider the trends predicted by scientists, the quarantine could be extended several times. All for the best.

RYX Skincerity Ultra Hydrating Foam Cleanser

How Much: Php 95.00 for 50 mL refill/Php 350.00 150 mL bottle with foamer

Where To Buy: Shopee ➧ I was able to use the RYX Skincerity Rejuvenating Set last year and although it didn't turn out to be a bad experience, I must say that I could never get used to the feeling of using something that involves A LOT of peeling. So I purchased this foam cleanser afterwards and I loved it that I decided to get two pieces of 50 mL refills in addition to the full-sized one that I already had. This cleanser is ideal for removing the day's grime, although I always make sure that I double cleanse to fully remove makeup and sunscreen. I love how it gives me a satisfying lather but it doesn't leave my skin feeling dry. It is gel type which I find effective for my oily and pimple prone skin. It contains niacinamide, aloe vera extract, carrot extract, papaine and vitamin B3 among others so it not only nourishes but it also exfoliates the skin. It also has a nice fruity scent. However, it is not readily available locally so I'm not sure if I will be able to repurchase it given the current situation.

Celeteque Acne Solutions Acne Cleansing Gel

How Much: Php 270.00 for a 50 mL tube

Where To Buy: Mercury Drug ➧ I've always recognized the power of Salicylic Acid when it comes to dealing with zits and this is basically the selling point of this product for me. This is an oil-free cleansing gel that purifies and clears skin. It is hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, dermatologist tested, and fragrance free. But I won't say I never get zits when I'm using this ah. Dealing with one's skin is like doing rocket science sometimes; so many factors affect it, sometimes it's the food, sometimes it's hormones, sometimes it's dirt, sometimes it's stress. What's important is that it doesn't go out of hand, and that you are not left with a humongous scar afterwards. Gentle cleansers with acids always help. ;)

La Roche-Posay Purifying Foaming Cleanser

Price: $14.99 for 400 mL from https://www.laroche-posay.us/ 

Where To Buy: ➧ The La Roche-Posay website simply describes it as "a daily facial wash for normal to oily skin foams to remove face and eye makeup, dirt, and impurities. Its refreshing gel formula removes excess oil while maintaining skin’s natural protective barrier and pH. Leaves skin feeling clean and fresh." which reminds me of how straightforward Celeteque's Hydrating Facial Wash is. It contains Ceramide-3, Niacinamide, Glycerin, and La Roche-Posay Prebiotic Thermal Water which will certainly give the skin some good lovin'. 

Zenutrients Tea Tree Balancing Soap

Php 88.00 for 100g

Where To Buy: www.beautymnl.com  ➧ I intend to use it again when I run out of my current facial washes. Tea Tree is also one of my favorite ingredients when it comes to fighting pimples. I do have reservations when it comes to using soap on the face as it can be harsh. I will update this entry in the future. 

I have emptied several facial washes last year such as the Celeteque Hydration Facial Wash and the Celeteque Hydration Gentle Exfoliating Facial Wash, pictured here with my favorite micellar water. I love how simple and mild they are but they work, are very affordable and are always readily available at the local Mercury Drug.

I also used the Safeguard Derma Sense albeit I was not able to take a photo of it. It also contained Salicylic Acid for made it ideal for fighting the pimples however, I just felt that my skin looked dull while I was using it. 😃 Anyways. When it comes to making repurchases, I'm sure I won't hesitate to pick up Celeteque products over and over again.

➤The Device - If you are curious about the pink, triangular device...

Alani Sonic Skin Cleanser and Facial Massager

Price: Php 450.00

Where To Buy: Kimstore ➧ The Alani Sonic Skin Cleanser and Facial Massager is a cleansing device which is made from safe-for-skin silicone material. It has four brush heads which can be used as cleanser or massager. It is waterproof and rechargeable. It vibrates/pulses upon pressing the power button and it also has buttons for adjusting the strength of the pulses. I have been using mine for nearly a year however, it just stopped working, like it no longer vibrates or sends sonic pulses but it still lights up when plugged to a charger. I dunno what went wrong but anyway, I still use it for cleaning/scrubbing my face even if it no longer has power.