Review : Sleek True Color Lipstick

These are probably my 8th and 9th lipstick purchase this month. If there's anything I have quite a lot of, it's lipstick. But these two were so hard to pass up.

Check out my previous post for product photos

First up, Sleek True Color Lipstick in Barely There

I'm so glad I had the chance to test this shade because I wouldn't have bought it online. It looks really light in photos and there are certain light shades that make me look like a corpse LOL. But this one was definitely a winner from the first swipe.

Next is Sleek True Color Lipstick in OMG

It looks bloody red in the photo but in person, it's more orange than red, which is what I was looking for. I was originally aiming for the shade called Papaya Punch but it didn't suit me. This was a much better choice! 

They're really so easy to apply because both these shades have a sheen finish. The staying power also isn't bad at all. For Php 400 each, you won't hear me complain!

Review : Sleek Creme to Powder Foundation

For just PHP 650.00, this foundation packs in a lot of power.  I didn't think I'd ever be able to find a product that will help me address my main frustration when it comes to my skin : OIL.

I am so excited to share this because I know there are a lot of you out there who share my frustration.

Check my previous post for product photos

Today, I got to try it out because I had to go with my toddler to her Halloween Party in school. It was the perfect time to do so because I knew I wouldn't be holed up in an airconditioned room the whole time. I really was so excited to put this to the test!

Here I am as soon as I got to the school, about 15 minutes after application

(I'm wearing Sleek's True Color Lipstick in Barely There)

Then here I am about 2 1/2 hours later. Take note, no airconditioning.

At this point, I was already extremely impressed by it but I decided to take another photo just to prove my point.  This last photo was taken approximately 4 1/2 hours after application, as soon as I got home.

I never had to touch up or use oil blotting paper (my bestfriend) the whole time. 

I'm so sorry, MAC Studiofix, I've obviously found a much better foundation. You've served me well but it's time to move on with Sleek!

P.S.

I just thought it would be nice to show all of you how oily my skin really is

This photo was taken last night, after coming home from a dinner out with friends.

I used MAC Studiofix, stayed out from about 6pm to 9pm and stayed in an airconditioned room the whole time. But look at how oily I am!

SLEEK Haul

I finally got a hold of them last night! We had a mini try-out session after dinner because my friend, Smile, who runs the site Updated Trends brought her stuff with her for the rest of us to try. Winner plan!!! (Updated Trends is one of two online stores that carries Sleek)

Because everything was within reach and with testers at that, I easily gave in to temptation.

Creme to Powder Foundation, Php 650
(I'll blog about this separately because it deserves its own entry)
You can get this from DigitalTraincase

I chose SAND which is next to the lightest shade they have

Looking at the pan, I knew I had chosen the right shade

Up next, the blush which I got in Pomegranate. Php 400.
I love the really compact packaging. It fits right into my tiny kit.

I made a stupid mistake and rushed to open it so that my nail dug into the blush when I flipped the lid (see that dent on the left side?). Does it look scary in the pan to you? It kinda does. But I'm sure with a light hand, it will all work out good. I've never tried a similar shade before and I'm in the mood for a bit of adventure! I can't wait to take this out on a road test!

Last but not the least, lipstick! I can't not have lipstick!

Php 400 each.

Again, two thumbs up for packaging! The tubes are so elegant-looking. I love that they're black.

I chose BARELY THERE and OMG, both with sheen finish. This, after trying on so many other shades!

OMG on the left, BARELY THERE on the right

One dark and one light.

I'm happy!

New everyday watch

Other than my Technomarine which is ancient (haha!), all my other watches are dressy. I was first lemming for a Michael Kors acrylic strapped watch but it's an old model and now a bit hard to find.

Nice huh?  Unfortunately, the website is out of this particular one. They only have this

Which, at first glance, I found too plain

I looked and looked and saw this in a website. I was surprised that it didn't cost too much. Also a bonus that it's in white and gold, the same look I was going for. This is just a bit more sporty than the Michael Kors watch but because it's a Baby-G and not a bulky G-Shock, I was sold. I showed the photo to N and he agreed that it's a good choice. I told him I wanted to go to Time Depot to try it on for size, because I had intended to get it from an online seller. 

But N was one step ahead of me, he actually bought it for me instead. Awww!

The size is just right. I love it!

Thanks, Hon!

P.S.

Now thinking about also getting the plain acrylic MK watch because I found someone who's selling it for less than Php 8k. Sleeping on it first. It's either that or a new purse. 

The Dukan Diet : there's always a first time

I've never, ever gone on a diet. I was born thin, grew up thin and in fact, was too thin for a time, my parents were seriously worried about my health. I hit 100 lbs when I was already working (at age 22). I even managed to wear a bikini during the summer even after I gave birth to my firstborn and until she was 10 years old. But I'm turning 43 in less than a month. Things began to change after I had Sabine 5 years ago. My metabolism went down so I went up a size (or maybe 2). All in all, I'm still not what you'd call fat or overweight. But I'm not getting any younger and I totally hate exercising. Never even used or tried using any type of gym equipment. So when a friend told me about her hubby's Dukan Diet, I took interest. In fact, there are 4 of us on this diet right now. 

The main reason I didn't reject the thought of going into the Dukan Diet? It's not depriving like all the other diets I've heard of. It's high protein, so you don't literally starve yourself. 

I'm on Day 3 (about to end in a few minutes) and here are photos of what I've eaten so far

Beef Kebab minus the garlic dipping sauce, tomato and the thin slice of Pita

French Mushroom Omelette 

(I asked them to not put cheese)

Beef Tapa and Egg

(I skipped the fried rice and didn't touch the tomato and cucumber)

To gain a better understanding of why I didn't eat the items I mentioned, you can go and check the Dukan Diet official website.

Yesterday, at the close of Day 2, I was 51.8 kilograms. The day before I started, I was 53 kilograms.

I'm hoping to lose the average 8 lbs that Dukan Dieters say they shed off on the first week alone. If I do less than 8 lbs I'm still okay with that. 

The first week (attack phase) is the hardest!

A few more days to go before this phase is over ... wish me luck!!!

After an exhausting day...

The whole day yesterday was spent out of town at a wake for my cousin in law who passed away recently and very unexpectedly.  We got home at around midnight and I was seriously running very low on energy. I was looking forward to a one-hour massage and then drifting off to sleep afterwards.

I was still sleepy even after I saw two courier packages which arrived while we were out. I managed to open them, however, despite knowing what was inside.

Sleek Magnitude Mascara in Black from Digital Traincase

Envirosax Paris Travel bag from a super kind-hearted friend all the way from Sydney

I'm going to try out the mascara today so I'll blog about it tonight for sure.

The bag will have to wait a bit.

Cheers to the weekend!

Are you ready for Halloween?

This time, I'm well-prepared! 

Sabine requested for her costume as early as August. This year, she wanted to be a princess. Quite predictable of her, honestly. She likes wearing dresses on a daily basis and claims that "pants are for boys".  So no matter how creative I want to be on Halloween (since last year, I've been wanting to have a lady security guard or SM sales clerk costume made for her), I know she'll insist on what she wants. 

I Googled no end for the perfect costume and found a few online but wasn't sure they'd make it in time from the US.  On Facebook, I found Yumi's Nook. She makes customized kids' costumes and here's what I chose for my super girly 5-year old 

I know it's a bit over-the-top.

But she fell in love with it the minute she laid her eyes on this photo. A few more clicks and a couple of inquiries after, the dress was paid for and in production. I had to pay an extra Php100 or Php150 for her to rush the order because I didn't want to be waiting until the last minute to get it.

Sabine's all ready for her school's Halloween Party on the 28th!

Note:

The dress costs Php 1,500 exclusive of courier charges

Here's a link to Yumi's Facebook Page if you'd like to see the rest of her albums.

Another great lippie find from NYX

Here's another one of my recent NYX purchases from Digital Traincase which I am really loving at the moment. This is NYX's round lipstick in Louisiana.

I love NYX's round lipsticks because they're extremely easy to apply. Really creamy, and this one has just the right amount of sheen in it. Between this and the NYX matte lipstick in Shocking Pink, it's really hard to choose which one I prefer to use more. The shades and effects are totally incomparable and equally attractive!

I'm really, really trying my best to resist the urge to get more!

I'm SLEEK-cited!

Sleek MakeUp is here!

It's a UK cosmetic brand that's been getting a lot of good reviews online (go Google!) and I'm so glad that friends have decided to bring it over here to spread the love!

I can't wait to get

Sleek Blush in Pomegranate

And I know I want to get their True Color lipstick but I'm still debating with myself about what shade to get. I recently bought 3 NYX lippies, all in different shades of pink, so pink is definitely out. Been on the lookout for a really nice shade of coral, that's why I'm leaning towards Sleek's True Color Lipstick in Coral Reef. However, here's the reason I'm still at a loss

How can anyone not be confused???

I believe Coral Reef is third from the right. So what do you think? Should I go for it?

I'm ordering from Updated Trends but Digital Traincase is also a seller. Take your pick!

Photo credit : Updated Trends

My easy Friday

I did a bit of work in the morning, like I always do. Then after taking Sabine to school, it was off to meet my good friend P, for some retail therapy ... shoe shopping to be exact!  Unfortunately, I can't openly brag about where we went because it was a "by invitation" thing. It's actually held monthly in different places and since one of the owners is a friend from high school, I always get a special invite.

Sadly, I went home with only one pair this time. My wallet was really happy that I didn't overdo it though. Here's what I chose after spending more than an hour looking around...

Snakeskin platform pumps by Carlos Santana

I truly, honestly love them and can't wait to use them!!!

After getting our fill of shoe heaven, we decided as usual, to sit down for a short chat before we parted ways.  Dome (our favorite hangout in the area) was packed so we opted to walk the few steps to Pages Deli which was right next door

Don't you just love the glasses with the vintage newspaper print? 

We decided against having coffee, for a change. 

These shakes were really fresh and the perfect thirst quenchers.

P had orange and I had grape. For less than Php 100 each, they were truly worth it.

I had a great start to my weekend. I hope you all did too!

I've been so busy!

Work has taken so much of my time lately ... not that I'm complaining, because I haven't been this busy in months and although my body is still adjusting to the pace, I'm loving every minute of it. For one thing, I'm forced to move and not be a couch potato all the time. That means more time spent outside of the home but it's all good.  Getting off my *ss is something I really really need to do and since my current work really inspires me to move around, I find myself away from my comfort zone (aka home) more often these days.  Being out also means I have time to do the things I haven't done in a while. 

I recently had some time to kill before picking up Sabine from school, so I dropped by Rockwell to check out the bazaar at the tent (sorry, I can't remember the bazaar's name right now).  I dropped by a friend's stall and ended up with a mini lippie loot which made me so happy! 

Left to right : NYX Matte Lipstick in Shocking Pink, NYX Round Lipstick in Louisiana and EOS Lipbalm in Honeysuckle Honeydew. The lipbalm is actually my 2nd because I misplaced the 1st one! Okay, I have a confession to make ... I got the matte lipstick for Anissa but I tried it on and I was so shocked to discover that (all modesty aside) I can rock this really loud color!

I just really love it!!! I love it so much that I used it for 2 days straight after I bought it LOL!

One observation though...

Although it's referred to as a matte lipstick, it isn't as matte as I expected it to be. For me, that's not a bad thing at all. My lips have a tendency to chap when I use matte lipstick, especially if I don't layer it with lipbalm. But NYX's matte lipstick is really perfect, not drying at all. 

I've been going through Digital Traincase's website to see what other shades I can get! At Php 300 a pop, don't you think a girl should get more? 

Stella Luna makes the most beautiful shoes

I'm on my third pair from this brand. My very first purchase was their classic flat shoes in a screaming metallic green. The next pair was a 4-inch open toed wedge in gun metal. And then this ...

The thing I love about this pair most is the comfort it provides despite its height. I think it was truly meant for me, the last pair in my size at the Shang store. I saw this style months ago so I guess that's why there was only one color left on the shelf. I would have to admit though that I can't spend on Stella Luna shoes all the time. But if you want quality and comfort, you definitely have to pay a premium. These are exactly what you get in return when you buy a pair of Stella Lunas. I never had a blister, never complained about the fit. Their shoes are truly worth every cent you shell out to get them.

And since we're on the topic, I again visited an Aldo store recently just to look and I was pleasantly surprised to see the pair I tried on a week before already on sale!

From 7k now down to 5k. A savings of 2k is not bad at all!

But it'll just have to wait a bit because my next target is a bag haha!