If you happen to frequent Watsons shops, you have probably seen these tiny Quick FX products just lurking around there somewhere. They are very affordable; I think for these three the price range is from Php 50.00 to about a hundred. I also love the packaging because it's travel-friendly and can fit into a little purse. Check 'em out after the jump.

Meet these cuties from Quick FX!

QUICK FX PIMPLE ERASER
Short description: Helps dry up pimples, helps diminish dark spots due to scarring, helps protect skin against the sun 
Actives: Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin C and Niacinamide
Ingredients of Quick FX  Pimple Eraser
I'll be honest. This isn't a miracle worker. It's not like you put it on at night and on the next day the pimple would be (poooooooof) gone. Afterall, this only costs less than a hundred pesos (about $2). What I do love about this product is that it helps alleviate the pain of the fat pimp. It also helps fight the swelling or in other words, it doesn't make the irrittation worse. After about two days, the pimp would die and heal to a nice pinkish scar and not a black spot. 

QUICK FX EYELIFT CREAM
Short description: Helps reduce the appearance of lines, dark circles and puffiness, helps refine and tone areas around the yes.
Actives: Ellagic Acid and Niacinamide
Ingredients of Quick FX Eyelift Cream
I have conceded a long time ago that my baggies are  a hopeless case. They are a constant companion even if I've had a good night's sleep. Unless I spend a fortune, I know that they are not going away anytime soon. I use this Eyelift Cream as a pre-concealer undereye cream, especially when I am using a cream concealer. It helps the concealer go smoothly and not appear patchy.

QUICK FX NO-SHINE MATTIFIER
Short description: absorbs oil to control shine for a smooth, matte finish, conceals fine lines and pores for visibly radiant skin instantly
Actives: Salicylic Acid, Chamomile, Tea Tree Extract & MatteWax
Ingredients of Quick FX No-Shine Mattifier
This one is described as a light moisturizer but I actually just use it on top of my moisturizer as a primer. I apply it on my T-zone and on my cheeks where my pores are most prominent and it really helps blur the pores and imperfections a bit. It makes the skin feel soft and smooth and that sort of gives you a clean canvas for applying the foundation.

***
These are great finds at such an affordable price. Staying pretty doesn't mean you have to break the bank. You just have to look around; sometimes, treasures come in small packages. 

Personally, these Quick FX products are ideal as a backup to your favorite eye creams or primer. You know, these are the ones you can use for office makeup where hindi mo naman kailangan sobrang ganda! LOL. I mean. You can have a more expensive primer or eye cream at hand and you can alternate with these so you won't easily run out of your more expensive ones. Agree?

These are also ideal for students who are lookin' stressed. The Eyelift Cream and the Pimple Eraser could be a big help. Even the No-Shine Mattifier can give them a needed glow. The prices are definitely student-friendly.

There are days when you wake up looking pretty and glowing and there are days that you just look dull. So assess what your skin needs and if all you need is just quick fixing and not a full blown overhaul (!), then Quick FX is your friend.

XO,
Carissa


EDIT: NOVEMBER 13, 2017
I had a record high - five pimples at the same time. One below my nose, two on my chin and two on my forehead. Quick FX really helped a great deal in the quick healing of my pimples. Not instant though, but in two days they looked better. There's also no scarring. 
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We are always here to celebrate Tin's milestones big or small. She's four now, goes to the local daycare and is just starting to experience some school events. She started big though and became the band leader, pronto! So here she is, looking determined and I think she's killin' it. :) She and her classmates also took part in the modern and folk dance activities which were fun to watch despite their mismatched steps. Fun starts after the jump!

Hail the band leader!
In a Nutshell...
Republic Act No. 10661 signed by President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III in 2015
AN ACT DECLARING NOVEMBER OF EVERY YEAR AS NATIONAL CHILDREN’S MONTH  also known as the “National Children’s Month Act”
The month of November of every year is hereby declared as “National Children’s Month”. This declaration commemorates the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1989, and seeks to instill its significance in the Filipino consciousness.
This year's theme is:
Isulong: Kalidad Na Edukasyon Para Sa Lahat Ng Bata!

Uhm, where did we learn to pose like that?
This whole event happened on November 17, 2016. There was a parade around town, a program at the plaza, and several competitions were held for singing, reciting, drawing and dancing. Hot arroz caldo and hard-boiled eggs were served to all the kids.  This was all made possible through the efforts of the Local Government Unit of Allen, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, private stakeholders and of course the participation of the different daycare centers in the entire municipality.

The gathering of these little kids was a sight to behold. You can see that they were all eager to show off what they have practiced for weeks and weeks and weeks. Tin was definitely excited about her costumes, especially the tiara. It was also a time for her and her friends to just hang out and have fun.

 Here are some of the photos taken during the event.  Something we can all look back on when we're old and graying, huh? :)
All those years of watching Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows may have finally paid off. Here she is with her cousins, showing off her gams.
Hanging out on the iconic statue of  St. James The Greater, is my Tin with her BFFs/classmates Nonoy, Tin Tin Liit and An-an.
Modern Dance Presentation
I believe this was supposed to be a ground demo but majority of the kiddos didn't know what to do? :)
The frenemies, about to take the center stage with the Folk Dance Presentation  - Tin Tin Liit and Tin Tin Laki
Folk Dance Presentation
Even if the presentation wasn't perfect, its heartwarming to see your kid do her  best.
Rights of the Child
Since the spotlight is on our kids, I'd like to share something that I found on the UNICEF website which was adapted by the SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES. These are the rights of the child.

Here's to more years of celebrating National Children's Month.


XO,
Carissa
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It felt like Christmas came early when my package from BeautyMNL arrived. It came complete with a Christmas themed wrapper and a tag that said "Happy Holidays, Beautiful!" and I just hastily opened it because I was particularly excited about the three nude lipsticks from Maybelline which came in a gift set called "Will you MLBB me? 💗 ". I have become a lipstick addict lately and when I am shopping with BeautyMNL I'm sure that I am getting fresh and authentic stocks. So without further ado, here's my BeatyMNL haul!


I have shopped twice at BeautyMNL in less than a month; blame it on their promos such as free shipping at no minimum order required. And now this one in particular: the 3 nude lipsticks gift set for Php 699.00 that is so hard to resist. 

THE "WILL YOU MLBB ME?" SET FROM MAYBELLINE

When I ordered this set, I thought that in case I didn't like one of the lippies I would willingly give it away. Let's just say that I fell in love at first swipe so I'm keeping 'em. The regular price for each piece of Creamy Matte Brown Nude lipstick is Php 299.00. The MLBB Gift Set came at Php 699.00 so that means I saved Php 99.00 or Php 33.00 for each lippie. Not a bad deal, huh?

Left to Right: Clay Crush, Touch of Spice and Nude Nuance
Color Description are as follows. I got it from www.beautymnl.com.
Maybelline Creamy Matte in Touch of Spice: A universally-flattering mauve.
Maybelline Creamy Matte in Nude Nuance: A beautiful rosy brown. 
Maybelline Creamy Matte in Clay Crush: A pretty peach-brown with golden undertones. 
The colors are all very office friendly and just having thee around, I feel inspired and fired up to go to work. However, these can also be amplified to suit for night outs, especially Nude Nuance and Touch of Spice. Touch of Spice is said to be a favorite of Georgina Wilson's and I can see why. These three are all my favorites. Even when I'm not using them, they are also hits on the olfactory department - they smell like chocolate!

NYX SOFT MATTE LIP CREAM IN STOCKHOLM

This one came with my previous order - the very first time that I tried ordering at BeautyMNL. It actually cost Php 390.00 which is tad higher than the prices of those at other online shops but I'm really wary of buying from unknown sources since there's a proliferation of knockoffs in the market. Anyway, I am also happy about this purchase. I know there's a Nudie Lipstick theme going on in this post and I am totes enjoying this trend. :)

The SMLC Stockhom is described in the NYX website as a Mid-Tone Beige Pink. Thanks to the pink part, this one still makes me look pretty flushed and not sickly pale. This one also smells yum, like cake or vanilla. It pretty much stays put, unless you eat something oily.

BEACHBORN SEA SALT SPRAY

This one is DA BOMB! At Php 180.00 per 100 mL bottle, I have a shot at getting Serena Van der Woodsen-like hair! What's not to love? This one also comes  handy when making the baby hairs and strays behave whenever I do  a pony tail. Just a tiny glitch though, my spritzer won't spritz anymore after a couple of uses. I will need a replacement bottle. Sigh!

VASELINE LIP THERAPY

Lastly, I grabbed this Vaseline Lip Therapy tube because I knew I would using matte lipsticks often and it could dry out my lips. That's me being cautious. It only cost Php 75.00 so it's definitely a winner.


Thanks to BeautyMNL, I don't have to go to a physical just to get my beauty fix. Even if I live in the province and have never seen a Maybelline beauty counter here (OMG!), I'm definitely catching up with other beauty junkies about the latest raves and cheap thrills. 

It's definitely a beauty destination for me.




XO,

Carissa
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Meet Pink Sugar - a homegrown cosmetics brand that local beauty bloggers have been talking about. Their website was launched just recently (September, I think) and they had a promo called "Face Base Bundle". The It's Awesome BB Cream and Dual Finish Face Powder are Php 499.00 a piece but I only got the bundle for Php 599.00 - that's a total savings of Php 399.00. The timing was perfect too since I was badly in need of a BB Cream and a powder. So how was my experience with this proudly Filipino brand? Quick review coming up after the jump!

PINK SUGAR IT'S AWESOME BB CREAM SPF 25
Pink Sugar It's Awesome BB Cream SPF 25
The Pink Sugar It's Awesome BB Cream comes in a 30g gram tube - the common size of bb creams we see in mass market. Fresh out the box, the tube is sealed which is not very common about bb creams sold, especially in malls. Isn't that a great thing?! At least you are sure that you got a fresh tube and not a tester. (^_^)

"The It’s Awesome BB Cream is formulated with Green Tea extracts, Aloe Vera a variety of other antioxidants. It’s Awesome BB Cream not only moisturizes, smoothens and corrects your skin but also gives you a natural finish ideal for daily use."

I got the Beige shade, which is on the warmer side, based on the swatches online. You can see the product claims on the tube itself. It says Moisturizing, Smoothening, Correcting, Natural Finish. No Oil-Control Claims so I had no expectations about it. Indeed it is moisturizing, smoothing, correcting and looks natural on the skin. It only has medium coverage though, so don't expect that it can fully hide those baggies or those red pimples or blemishes. It has a faint floral scent which dissipates upon application. It has a creamy consistency, not runny and spreads easily upon skin contact. It also brightens the skin upon application. And ah, yes, like I said, no oil control claims so shine peeks at midday. 

Pink Sugar It's Awesome BB Cream Ingredients
Pink Sugar It's Awesome BB Cream Packaging
DUAL FINISH FACE POWDER
The Dual Powder Foundation's packaging measures at about 4.5 inches across and contains about 9g of product.
"This Two Way Powder Foundation is a long lasting pressed powder that is formed with photochromatic pigments. It’s velvet texture feels comfortable on the skin and it’s infused with Ginseng and other antioxidants. SPF 15."

Up Close
First of all, I am happy about the packaging: sturdy plastic in color black, wide mirror, the hinges aren't flimsy. I just wish they had refills because the case looks something like I could use again. The powder feels velvety smooth on the skin; no powdery or chalky feeling upon application.

I got the Medium Beige shade, which is tad dark pala (ooops!). My bad; even if I checked out that BeautyMNL feature on how to get the right shades, I still got it wrong haha. Thankfully, it doesn't look too dark when used with dry application. I've tried using a wet sponge since it can also be applied like so  but it really darkened my complexion. It does give off better coverage when used with wet sponge. Right now, I only apply it sheer using a kabuki brush to set the It's Awesome BB Cream. 

Pink Sugar Dual Finish Face Powder Ingredients
I've been using this bundle for three  months now and thankfully I have not experienced any breakouts. The BB Cream needs to be blended well (preferably with a sponge or a foundation brush) otherwise it will cake. I am also glad that they both have SPF because, well, who doesn't need one in this country! 

I have taken photos of myself wearing the bespoken Face Base Bundle so you can see how it corrects minor face issues such as redness or blemishes. I also did not put any other products such as concealer so you can see that the BB Cream lightened my dark circles just a little bit. You can see that it also brightened and even whitened my face after 2 layers of BB Cream. Then of course, since like I said, the Powder is  shades darker, so yeah, you can also see that my complexion darkened a bit. But I'm not complaining though, I think that the Powder just balanced the color and I'm not a whitening junkee anyway so overall, I am really satisfied with these two!


After three months, I am hitting the pan of my powder and I may be running out of the bb cream too! One thing's for sure: I'm definitely getting my hands on another bundle when I run out of. And maybe even grab those other products from Pink Sugar. The lippies look lovely! The last time I checked, The Face Base Bundle is still up for grabs so visit them at www.pinksugar.com.ph.

Kudos to another Proudly Filipino Company!

XO,
Carissa
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First of all, I know that "It's Not Poison..." is a beauty and lifestyle blog and I often come here to share my experience about beauty products or latest misadventures with my daughter; very seldom do I come here to rant about the political situation in my country, the Philippines. However, something BIG happened yesterday. I never thought I'd live to see the day that former president Ferdinand E. Marcos would be buried in the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (Heroes Cemetery). I am still wallowing in the sadness of it, especially because I feel that it will not give the longed for "closure" for the families of those who were raped, killed and tortured during the Martial Law. 

Far from being a closure, I think this story is not yet over. My eyes are peeled and my fingers are crossed for what's to come next.
***
My beauty haul from Althea.
On a lighter note, I didn't come home empty handed during my last surfing sesh at Althea's online shopping site. If you don't already know, Althea is a "one-stop shopping destination for authentic K-beauty (Korean beauty) products at a reasonable price." I know I always consider buying Proudly Pinoy products but I decided to try something Korean for a bit of change. He he. I think this is the first time that I am doing so and I am always wary about buying Korean cosmetics from other sites because there are a lot of fake makeups being sold in the market. The last thing I want to happen is to have an ugly skin instead of getting that K-beauty glow!

So the deal is, you shop from ph.althea.kr and the stuff gets shipped fresh from Korea! Upon arrival of any product that I buy, I always check the expiration dates just to be sure if they sold me something stale. These babies all have a 2018-2019 expiry dates which means that they are indeed just freshly manufactured. For purchases of Php 999.00 and up, you get free shipping; if you spend below that amount you get charged an additional Php 250.00 for shipping so of course, the no-brainer decision is to spend about a thousand grands, just like I did. Check out my loot. ;)

ABBAMART GET YOUR LIP CRAYON IN RED VELVET 
Price: Php 660.00 320.00
Got one because I don't own a single red lipstick these days. Shame! 
Pros: Great color pay-off, flattering shade of red, stays put for hours; minimal transfer; very matte, non-drying on the lips and the crayon tip makes for easy, breezy, mess-free, lip brush-free application.
Cons: I cannot think of any as of the moment.

ABBAMART SHY SMILE BLUSHER PEARL IN ROSE GOLD
Size: 8g//Price: Php 400.00 Php 260.00
This blusher is a great pick for something under Php 300.00. It looks too reddish on the pan but when applied with a light hand, you get a natural looking flush of pink. And thank God the shimmers on this one are not chunky! I repeat, apply with a light hand.  :)

WITCH'S POUCH SELFIE PERFECT EYEBROW IN GRAY BROWN
Price: Php 499.00 150.00
For once in my life, I wanted to do away from sharpening an eyebrow pencil. Thanks to this one's twist-up mechanism I no longer have to, at least for a while. I originally wanted the dark brown variety but it was out of stock but this color is just as fine, if not better. My hair isn't died and it's in its natural black state that's why gray brown fits well, it isn't too dark or too light. And it came with a free refill. That is seriously sick!

MISSHA UNDER EYE BRIGHTENER IN NATURAL BEIGE
Size: 5g//Price Php 399.99 190.00
Finally an under eye brightener for those sleepless nights. Cannot wait to test this one and one day make a proper review!

Y.E.T. DON'T WORRY MASK SHEET IN POLICE MASK (OIL CONTROL)
5 pieces for Php 80.00 24.00 each. 
..And last but not the least, the masks sheets which came at Php 24.00 each. They were the perfect addition to my cart when I needed to complete the Php 999.00 content to avail of a free-shipping. I haven't tried 'em yet but I know they're perfect for me since I have oily skin. It's called the Police Mask; perfect for me since I work for the Philippine National Police. LOL. I read the ingredients at the back of the sheet and it has  lots of plant extracts which I know will help address oiliness issues.

***
I am totes happy about all of these tingamajigs that I purchased from Althea. The makeups are all very useful for my everyday prepping-up routine.

This definitely isn't the last time that I'm shopping with Althea. On their site it says that your package will arrive within 5 to 10 days. I got it after about a week so I was really delighted.

Have you shopped from Althea? Do share what you got!

XO,


Carissa

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I found these little babies at the online shop of Bench Philippines. What caught my attention, aside from the bright colors, was the the neon green sticker that said "Vegan Formula". I usually just see the DBP-Free or Tolouene-Free labels, and this is probably the fist time that I encountered a vegan formula nail polish from a local brand. Curioso? Let's explore after the jump.


Our Vegan Nail Polish is perfect for all the nail lacquer addicts who constantly have the desire to beautify their nails.

This products boasts its Keratin content and its Vegan Formula which means it has:
NO Formaldehyde (a cancer-causing agent)
NO Toluene (a skin irritant found in glue and gasoline)
NO Di-butyl Phtalate or DBP (associated with birth defects and male hormone disruption)
NO Animal derivatives
NOT tested on animal
-from shop.bench.com.ph

Proudly Filipino from Paint Box/Bench
Veganism of course means not eating any food that comes from animals nor consuming any product that comes from animals. While I am not (yet!) engaged in such a way of life, I know that there are many girls out there who for various reasons are  practicing it. That's why I'm glad that a well-loved homegrown brand such as Bench/  has thought of catering to these particular needs. Not only that, they also have a wide array of colors to choose from. At Php 59.00 per 11 mL bottle, it is also very affordable.

Last July I went on a mini shopping spree at http://shop.bench.com.ph/ and I picked these three as add-ons. I regret getting only three because the colors are really lovely.

Blueberry Cheesecake - which looks more lavender to me than blue
Paradise Green - which I  think is a minty bluish green with a lot of attitude
Baked Apple - a lovely, flattering shade of red

Check 'em out.

Blueberry Cheesecake
Paradise Green
Baked Apple
Vegan Nail Polish Ingredients List
Luvly, aren't they?!

I wish I'd gotten some neutral colors, one nude and one light pink. They would certainly look good on my fingernails, even if I very rarely were colors because I do a lot of laundry. Ha ha! Well, anyway, I will be featuring them soon on an #NOTD. And I will definitely be checking 'em out when I chance upon a Bench shop.

XO, 

Carissa

P.S. These colors remind me a lot of Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour, specially the Blueberry Cheesecake and the Baked Apple ones. She'd wear such colors topped with glitters. To my surprise, I found this Tumblr account which featured 1989 inspired colors. These are of course imaginary ones and are fan-made, but we were kind of thinking about the same thing here. ;)
Screaming Color, Wonderland and Bad Blood colors look familiar. whatcha say? :)
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I discovered Human Heart Nature online in 2015. Since then I have availed myself of a dealer membership, although it is just for personal use. It allows me to shop through their site at discounted rates. Needless to say, I have shopped countless times at www.humanheartnature.com and I have tried a handful of their products. I have also made some reviews about 'em; I guess Human Heart Nature is all over my blog. Today I will be sharing a quick review of some Human Heart Nature products that I've tried. Come have a look.

HUMAN  HEART NATURE PERFECT COVERAGE MINERAL FOUNDATION IN HONEY
Refill Only Regular Price: Php 295.00
The Human Heart Nature Perfect Coverage Mineral Foundation in Honey looks too yellow on the pan but is a great match when applied to my medium skin with yellow undertones. The powder is finely milled and does not appear chalky on my skin. It gives a medium coverage only though, so you would still need a concealer for those blemishes. It is fragrance-free, didn't cause any breakouts on my skin and I am happy about how it kept me looking fresh throughout the day. One glitch that I encountered about this product was that it was easily broken, something that I also experienced with the Human Heart Nature Perfect Glow Mineral Blush, and it's because they only use natural binders. But being economical that I am, I used it to the very last bit, just in a loose powder form. I put it on an old Palgantong Powder container and voila, I was good to go!

HUMAN HEART NATURE 100% NATURAL SUNFLOWER BEAUTY OIL 
Regular Price: Php 174.75 for 50 ml
Ingredients list and other details on the label.
The 100% Natural Sunflower Beauty Oil has many uses - 23 to be exact, according to their website. I know that sunflower oil is good for lightening scars and dark spots but it should be applied religiously in order to achieve any conceivable results, and I am such a failure at that. Haha. I'll just make a comment on how great it is as an alternative to a body lotion because it's good in keeping the skin moisturized and looking supple. I have also used it as a mascara remover and it's great that it can also nourish the eyelashes. It smells like oil, no other fragrance was added, according to the ingredients list. I use it sparingly on the face though, because it is made of oil and it can feel heavy and greasy on the face.

HUMAN HEART NATURE 100% NATURAL NIGHT MOISTURIZER
Regular Price: Php 174.75 for 50 ml
Ingredients//On my hand
I think the 100% Natural Night Moisturizer is one of my favorites from Human Heart Nature. It just makes my skin glow in the morning. My skin is naturally oily and  I know that I should be careful around products that contain oils. *How do I tell that this one has oils? Well, if the skin feels warm after application, it is most likely that the product contains oil because oil traps heat on the skin.* But at least I know that its the good kind of oils or ingredients...no mineral oil, silicone, parabens, etc. I love how my skin feels so nourished when I put this on. 

 HUMAN HEART NATURE 100% NATURAL HEALTHY LOTION - ORANGE SUNRISE
Regular Price: Php 199.75 for 200 ml
Packed with goodness
Ingredients and deets
The Human Heart Nature 100% Natural Healthy Lotion is really packed to the punch with goodness! It is formulated with "12 nutrients and antioxidants from coconut, aloe vera, soybean, sunflower and avocado oils". You can read all the deets on the label. As of this date, it has four variants - Orange Sunrise, Powder Love, Blossom Beauty and Berry Bliss. I have yet to try Powder Love and I think of the three that I've tried, Berry Bliss is my favorite. It smells like fruits. This one in particular, the Orange Sunrise, smells tangy, obviously! Haha. I love how it is not sticky and that it gets easily absorbed by the skin. Human Heart Nature promotes the "Morena and Proud" so there aren't any whitening properties on this lotion and I'm cool with that.

 ***
Human Heart Nature's philosophy is Pro-Poor, Pro-Environment and Pro-Philippines. I'm glad that with every single purchase that I make, I am able to help those three aspects. A little help goes a long way. Check out Human Heart Nature's website at www.humanheartnature.com for more info.


XO,

Carissa
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