Product Review: L.A. Colors Lipstick in Matte Amethyst

     Hi dearies! Just got home from a 3-day vacation from the beautiful province of Lucban Quezon :) We joined the Pahiyas Festival and this is my nth time to celebrate one of the grandest festival of the year. Lucban Quezon is my mother's hometown that's why celebrating Pahiyas is already marked in our family tradition. Anyhoo, my apologies for posting this review just now. I forgot to schedule this review post before I left Manila. If you still remember my haul post here, I bought this lipstick because I saw the swatch of Gie - Third World Fashion blog. The color looks good on her lips- purple lips for everyday look why not?! Another thing I like was the price! This lipstick is very cheap :) The cheapskate in me rejoices the moment I saw the price. But I have one problem with bright colored lipstick, the true color won't show up on my lips :( Since this shade is on the purple side, I'm expecting that my lips would turn purplish somehow but it turned out a little pinkish. And because Gie already made a comprehensive review, I'll just chronicler my experience with the product here. Click Read More to see if it's a Yay or a Nyay :)

L. A. Colors Lipstick in Matte Amethyst

L.A. Colors Lipstick in Matte Amethyst
a purple shade lipstick, not matte nor glossy

    size: 3.2g/0.11 oz

 price 99 php (Around $2.00+)

place bought: Health and Beauty Section Landmark, Trinoma

ingredients:  Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Squalene, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Ceresin, Isopropyl Myristate, Propylparaben, Parfum, Aloe Barbadensis, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 74491, CI 74492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), D and C Red 7 Calcium Lake (15850; 1), D and C Red 6 (CI 15850), D and C Red 27 Aluminum Lake (CI 45410; 1) FD and C Yellow 5 Aluminum Lake (CI 19140; 1), FD and C Blue 1 Aluminum Lake (CI 42090; 2) Mica (CI 77019)

L.A. Colors Lipstick in Matte Amethyst 
swatch twice on my forearm

L. A. Colors Lipstick in Matte Amethyst on my lips

L.A. Colors Lipstick in Matte Amethyst 
swiped 3 times on my lips

What I like:

• The Price- One of the cheapest lipstick that I currently own. 
• The pigmentation is okay. Can be sheer and buildable until you get the color you like.
• Applies easily on my lips, glides on smoothly.
• Doesn't dry my lips. 
• Lasts 4 hours on my lips. 
• Easily accessible. 
• There's a batch and manufacturing date printed on it.

What I don't like: 

• The packaging- it's flimsy. But can't complain consider the price and the quality, you really get what you pay for.
• Fades easily after eating oily or spicy food so better check after eating or else you'll ended up with a white line of grease on your lips. 
• The scent is a bit off, I can smell the lead whenever I apply this on my lips.
• Contains mineral oil, some individuals are allergic to it.

Will I repurchase? Yes! A cheapskate like me can try all the shades that I want because of the price.

Recommendation:

     I give this a 4/5 rating! I just noticed one thing with the pinks, purples and fuchsia lipstick that I've tried, they always turn out the same. I mean, sometimes I can't see a big difference on the shade. I think it's because I have a pigmented lips and that doesn't give justice to the real color of the lipstick. Always prep your lips prior to lipstick application with a good lip balm to avoid dryness. 

     Have you tried L.A. Colors Lipstick? I want to try other shades, can you recommend a good one? Thank you pretties!

Good Times!~

Product Review: Snoe Beso Balm

     This lip balm has been on my wish list for quiet some time. I wasn't able to get a hold of this because I've got more than 4 lip balms on hand that I use alternately everyday. I want to consume everything before buying a new one since most of the lip balms I have were organic so the life span is shorter than rest of the lip balms that I have. I already made a review of my fave lip balm, Carmex and EOS and even though they're my HG's I'm still looking for something that will not only moisturize my lips but will give me more stinging minty sensation after every application. I love minty lip balms. I also read somewhere that lip balms can also give a plumping effect on your lips so this reason made me look for a lip balm that will moisturize and plump lips in one application. When Snoe Beso Balm hit their shelves long time ago, I said to myself this will be added to my long list of "to buy" products. 

     I love reading literature, aka product information. While I was reading the description of this lip balm, the word "freshens breath" caught my attention. Never heard or tried a lip balm that will do that! So this lip balm will not only give you 1 but 3 times the goodness in a tube.

Snoe Beso Balm
PLUMPS, SOOTHES, PROTECTS, FRESHENS BREATH
Warning: Prolonged use may attract the opposite gender and cause intense flirting!

 Snoe Beso Balm

size: 

price: 149php (Around $3.50+)

place bought: Snoe Beauty kiosk at Cinderella Sm, Fairview

instruction for use: Use before kissing or whenever you feel like it.

ingredients: Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, Halianthus (sunflower) seed oil, Beeswax, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) leaf oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Tocopheryl Acetate, Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Menthol, Benzophenone 3, Blue1 (CI 42090), Yellow5 (CI 19140)

Snoe Beso Balm
And in Action! I have a slight dry upper lips but when I apply Beso Balm, it becomes moisturized after a couple of minutes. I just applied the lip balm in this photo. Less fine lines too!

What I like:

• The price is affordable.
• I super love the minty feel on my lips after application. 
• I like the cold and tingle feeling that leaves on my lips long after the application.
• Makes my lips smooth and healthy looking. My lips looks dewy too.
• I use this before I sleep at night and when I wake up, my lips are smooth with less lines.
• The packaging is not flimsy and doesn't look cheap. Love the black and green combination.
• Glides smoothly and not greasy at all.
• No waxy feel and not heavy on my lips.

What I don't like:

• The cap has no seal. Sometimes I doubt if the lip balm is exposed or opened accidentally while on display.
• No batch, manufacturing and expiration date on the package.
• Haven't noticed any plumping on my lips.
• No spf :(

Will I repurchase? Yes!

Recommendation:

     I give this a 4.5/5 rating. I'm a lip balm girl :D Expect this product to sit on my makeup kit as this earned a spot as one of my fave lip care product as of the moment. I love the tingling sensation it gives that's perfect for the insane heat. But this lip care doesn't have spf so if you'll go swimming or go outside the house in the morning, please use another lip balm with spf to protect your lips from UVA/UBV. But all in all, my experience with this lip balm is so good! Will definitely buy a back up soon :)

     Have you tried Snoe Beso Balm? What's your current lip balm? Thanks for sharing!

Good Times!~

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms!!!

     To all the loving, caring, understanding, supportive and patient mothers in the whole world, let me greet you a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! I know this day will be very special if you'll celebrate it with the whole family. 

     I know my mom doesn't visit my blog, she haven't got a chance to visit this site even once but I understand that. If ever she's reading right now, I want to tell her that I'm very thankful for everything she did to us. She sacrificed most of her time just to give all the best that she can for us (me and my sibs) to have a better life. My thank you is not enough to show that I'm grateful for all the things you've done. May God always bless you with good health, long life, more patience and unconditional love for the whole family.

     I also want to say "Thank you" to my second mom, my mother-in-law for loving me as her own daughter. I hope you'll stay strong physically, mentally and emotionally and may God always guide you wherever you are and keep you safe in whatever you do. 

     Happy Mother's day to all my mommy relatives and mommy friends, mommies and mommies-to-be, you know who you are!

     I also want to say "Thank you" to my Virginia Olsen Minerals family for sending this fab gift. I'm not expecting this that's why when I received this yesterday, I'm a bit emotional not because finally I can try this product but the thought that someone not related to you (by blood) will remember you on this special day. Actually this is my first time to receive something from someone on not related to me on Mother's Day. 

     Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart! Have a happy and meaningful Mother's day to all!!!

Good Times!~

My Sample Room Products for May + Hauls

     Hello long weekend! Let's rock this 3 day- vacation by doing things we love and by making the right decision on the list of candidates to vote. My Sample Room Products for this month came last week and I decided to get this skin care samples from Gluta-C. But take note that Sample Room is not only giving samples, they also offer products in full-sizes! That's why I'm very happy with Sample Room. You all know that I love organic whitening soaps but when I saw Gluta-C samples, I didn't think twice and got myself a bar of whitening soap and bottle of lotion. Since Gluta-C is another promising brand of skin care to love, they deserve a space here on my blog :)

Gluta-C Lotion
Gluta- C Soap

     I will test both products for two weeks, let's see how these products will fare on my skin :) I also bought products to replenish my skin care. I'm sure you're already bored with the same stuff you see on my haul posts. When I say it's my fave or my HG, expect to see it over and over again! 

Beauty and Bright Soaps
Nature Republic Nail Polish Remover
Human Heart Nature Facial Scrub
L.A. Colors Lipstick in Amethyst

     Aside from skin care loves, I also bought new stuff! It's my first time to try a Korean brand of nail polish remover. It's my 6th bar of Beauty and Bright soaps and 2nd tube of Human Heart Nature Facial Scrub. A new lippie- I saw Gie of Third World Fashion sporting violet lips using the same lipstick above and her review got me sold! 

Snoe Beso Balm
BYS Brow and Eye Pencil

     Here's an addition to my makeup stash. I bought a new eyeliner and eyebrow gel liner from BYS. I still love my Virgina Olsen Choco Eyeliner but I want to try a black pen type eyeliner for days when I'm very lazy to put makeup on. Just eyeliner and eyebrow color and I'm good to go. I already hit the pan of my fave Carmex Lipbalm so this time I'm going to try Snoe's Beso Balm because I'm so intrigued with the name. 

     That's all for now dearies, If you want to read my thoughts on the products I already reviewed on this blog just click the links below:

Beauty and Bright Face and Body Lightening Moringa Soap

Beauty and Bright Skin Lightening Body Soap and Anti- aging Serum Bar

Human Heart Nature Purifying Facial Scrub

Good Times!~

Product Review: Pantene Color and Perm Shampoo

     Hello! I need to counteract this laziness every first day of the week that's why I'll greet you a Happy Monday dearies! Whew! My last hair care review was months ago because I settled on using my HG hair care products but when I attended the BDJ Box Beauty Social Event and they included samples of Pantene Color and Perm shampoo to our loot bag that's good for 7 days, I gave this brand an opportunity to shine once again. I have a love-hate relationship with Pantene shampoos and conditioners before. I love this because it doesn't cause major hair fall but I hate that it does cause breakouts on my forehead and some on my neck :( I veered away from this brand and said to myself not to try this again. But when Pantene made this product for specific hair needs- for color treated and permed hair, something inside my head tells me to try again this brand.

     So without thinking twice, I braved myself to try the product for 7 days! It's a risk for me to shampoo my hair for 7 days straight. If you you're a long time reader of this blog, for sure ya'll know that I shampoo my hair 3-4 times a week. And by using this for 7 days, there's no assurance that my hair will get good results. But on my 2nd and 3rd day, I noticed that the effect of this shampoo was the same as what I experienced before but doesn't gave me negative results! Fantastic :) This is the first time that I'll rave about Pantene :) Click Read More to find out what Pantene Color and Perm made my color-treated hair after 7 days...

The Story Behind Pantene Color and Perm

Pantene Pro-V Color and Perm lasting care system is specially formulated with Liquid Crystal Technology that helps hair to repair chemically damaged hair. It also protects colored and permed hair from further damage, so hair color stays healthier for up to 6 weeks. Scientific research shows that hair gets damaged every time you subject it to coloring, perming, and extreme heat. This is because the hair's natural protective layer is ripped-off to alter your hair's fundamental structure from black to brown, straight to permed, wavy to straight. While your hair may look glamorous in pictures, it may be weakened and unhealthy from within. This damage affects the fundamental structure of hair, depleting hair's natural healthy beauty, thus hair is unable to maintain the desired end look.

Pantene Color and Perm Lasting Care Shampoo's LIQUID CRYSTAL TECHNOLOGY has been proven to effectively  protect hair from damage. Now you can enjoy healthy, shiny, colored hair

size: 170ml / 8.5 fl.oz.

price: 124.75 php (Around $3.00+)

place bought: free (got this from BDJ as a prize from the Pantene 7 days giveaway)

Leading Supermarkets and Department Stores Nationwide! 

instructions for use: Massage onto wet scalp/hair gently. Rinse off thoroughly. 

ingredients: Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Fragrance, Cocamidopropyl Betain, Sodium Citrate, Cocamide MEA, Sodium Xylenesulfonate, Dimethicone, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-6, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Hydrochloric Acid, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

Pantene Color and Perm Shampoo's consistency is not thick nor runny.

7 days after using Pantene Color and Perm Shampoo- this photo was my official entry to the contest. If you want to see the ladies who love Pantene Color and Perm Shampoo, buy the May issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine. You can see this photo on page 48 like the one that I posted below :)
My hair color here is LIGHT HAVANA from HBC

Pantene Color and Perm Shampoo
Thank you Cosmopolitan Magazine for the feature

What I like:

• I love the packaging! It's very sleek and neat looking.
• The consistency is not thick nor runny.
• Produces a rich lather and I only need a little amount to shampoo my hair.
• My hair doesn't feel stiff after shampooing.
• This shampoo made the color of my hair more vibrant and shiny.
• After 2 weeks, the color of my hair hasn't faded. 
• Since color treated hair is prone to dryness and breakage, I experienced a very little hair fall. Less than 5 strands and that's very promising for someone like me who had a major hair fall history.

What I don't like:

• The scent- not long lasting.

Will I repurchase? Yes! This is my favorite and HG Shampoo as of the moment.

Recommendation:

     I give this a 4.75/5 rating. I love this shampoo and even recommended it to my relatives and friends. This is the first time that my hair has agreed with local brand. If you remember my hair care posts, I presume you know that my hair always agree with Korean or other international brands but this time Pantene made a big difference. Just follow the instructions on how to use the product. I had a bad experience before from not following instructions and made my hair very coarse and dry. If you want to really take good care of your hair, if the product says shampoo, lather then rinse- do it! Don't let the product sink into you hair and scalp for more than 2 minutes unless otherwise stated or you'll end up stripping the shine of your locks. 

     

     I highly recommend this product! Have you tried Pantene Color and Perm shampoo? Share us your experience!

Good Times!~