cosmetic fix: salvage your dried gel and cream liners

a few months back when i bought my first gel liners from dollface, i know that the time will come and they will dry up.
there are plenty of advice i have read that gel liners must be stored in a glass jar for longer shelf life, they must be tightly capped all the time too.
i have tried my best to always have the dollface glass jars capped and i must say that my turqoise and black liners have remained creamy.
sadly though, my favourite blue liner have gone powdery and it started tugging when im applying it.

from the picture, you can see that it has solidified and gone pasty.

i wasnt that alarmed though cuz when i blogged about these same gel liners when i got them, the beautiful sonali gave me an advice right there that if ever they dried up, all i have to do is put a drop of glycerin to make them good as new. and sonali girl, am i glad i kept a mental note of your advice.
cuz sure enough, in a few months, i needed that drop of glycerin.
well didnt know at first i can easily get it from a neighborhood drugstore. (im in the philippines but im sure you sisters can find it easily in your drugstores too :D)but here..

got it from south star drug cheaply at Php31.50 (saw this in mercury drugstore too, but who wants to waste time in the lines right?)

so i used two drops of glycerine (not sure why i used 2 drops and not a drop honestly, lol. i just thought that maybe a drop wont be enough.. here i am again getting excessive)
and i mixed it using a brush butt aka a craft brush handle

you can see it's a bit "wet-looking" isnt it? tried to press the gel into a nice shape but failed.. see the mess i made on my fingers and on the gel? well, it still looks that way and will remain so. im just glad it has indeed gone creamy and when i glided it, it went on smoothly than even before i first got it :D

now the big question.. and the most important of all is..
did the staying power of the gel remain so or did it turn smudgy because of the added ingredient?
and my happy answer is..
it did not get smudgy and the staying power of my dollface gel liner, mixed with 2 drops of glycerin remained fantastic.
see my fotd before this post? it was the "fixed" gel liner that i used for that fotd. manila's heat + too much arcading + sweating and the gel liner has remained in place :D
there.. i hope i had been of some help. you have dried up gel and cream liners? go ahead and fix it!

p.s. my daughters' ayah is gone. boohoo. will be busy in the next few days and might not be able to go online as much as i'd like to. i'll miss you all!

be glorious,
R

FOTD

sofina primavista liquid foundation
vmv gorgeous cheek flush blush in cabana cutie
styli style lip pencil in crimson
maybelline color sensational in pink petal
dollface gel liner in blue


be glorious,
R

NOTD: christmassy nails!

one coat of the face shop nail enamel in red301
topped with a coat of the face shop nail enamel in gold111
protected with the face shop high grade topcoat

be glorious,
R

in FOCUS: (and just FINISHED) vmv skin savvy 60 liquid foundation

so i just finished my first ever liquid foundation. it is VMV skin savvy 60 and i bought it early last year even before i got innerested in makeup. i actually got it as an alternative to vmv armada 60 cuz both of them has spf60 and i thought if armada is great, then this liquid foundation must be great too.

here's what it says on the vmv website:

Ultra-High Protection, Creamy Perfection, Liquid-Créme Foundation Skin Savvy 60 Ultra-High Protection, Creamy Perfection, Liquid-Créme Foundation Ultra-high protection and creamy perfection. This skin lightening, skin-caring coverage is Armada Face and Body Shield 60 in a perfect –finish foundation. Opaque, full-spectrum protection against indoor and outdoor UVA, UVB, Infrared, and Visible Light: SPF 60, High PFA, PFI, PFV. Helps prevent hyperpigmentations, photoageing and skin cancer. Regular use can help lighten hyperpigmentations and help enable overall skin to lighten naturally. Full-coverage liquid-créme masks blemishes and gives skin an up-close-touch-it-perfect finish. Light weight comfort. All Skin Types. Full Coverage. Validated Hypoallergenic: VH-27. SPF 60. 100% All-Types-of-Fragrance-Free. 100% Preservative Free. Usage and Patch-Tested. Non-Comedogenic. Net Content: 0.88 Oz. (25g) To Use: With bare fingers or a sponge, apply over face and neck as needed. Blend well. Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide – 6.9%, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid – 5%, Titanium Dioxide – 3.62%, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane – 3%, 4-Methylbenzilidine Camphor – 1%. Other Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Triethanolamine, Glyceryl Laurate, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Dimethicone/Methicone Copolymer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Aluminum Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Zirconium Dioxide, Iron Oxides. May Contain: Talc.

and here's what i say about vmv skinn savvy 60

coverage: perfect 10! it has full coverage and whenever i feel my undereyes have gotten too dark i only wear this and there's no need for a concealer. i may not have acne scars to hide but i think this shall be able to hide acneic skin as well.

finish: i give it 8 out of 10. it's because it gives inconsistent finish, depending on how my skin is and how the weather is. sometimes i get a dewy finish and i mostly get matte finish with this one. take note that im not crazy about face primers so im pretty sure it's my skin condition + the weather that's making it behave that way. i would prefer a liquid foundation to give me the finish i want (always matte or always dewy) so i can decide whether it will go with the look i want for the day.

staying power: oh oh oh! another perfect 10 for this category. i know there've been raves about revlon colorstay and i honestly cant compare vmv skin savvy 60 with it cuz i havent tried colorstay but im pretty confident about the staying power of this one. picture this: i put on the makeup 8am, went to the zoo with the kids, imagine the p.i.a. heat in manila, the stress of chasing after a toddler, checked my face 11am, makeup still good (and i havent used finishing powder or spray on my face). went to the mall for lunch and more games, imagine me playing at the inflatable playground w my toddler, checked my makeup, and only the area on my upper lip and nose looked a bit worn off. i just used my fingers to fix and :) 4pm at home from a very active day and makeup still good :D

sun protection: a perfect 10 again. it has spf60! and if you read what vmv said on the above quoted description, i wouldn't need to say anything more.

consistency: well, it is a bit hard to blend being thicker than your regular liquid foundation. so i give it an 8 out 10 points.

skin matching ability: another perfect 10! it has loads of shades to choose from (and im pearl) so all you gotta do is try it on IN PERSON to get your match.

hypoallergenicity: it is vmv HYPOALLERGENICS. what else but a perfect 10. it is rated vh-27, free of all 27 known (and sadly common to most cosmetics) allergens. fragrance-free. paraben-free. and for someone like me who gets allergic rhinitis from nasty scents or ingredients in cosmetics or even food (like right now!) it is important that a foundation is hypoallergenic.

availability: 10! it is available in sm department stores (who doesnt have an sm in their area?lol), i believe robinson's and landmark carries it as well and vmv has their own booth in alabang town centre and has their flagship store at bonifacio high street.

affordability: it can be relative. just in my opinion the price is good. i believe it cost me Php 1,660 (website price is 50usd). some would say it's expensive cause you get less than an ounce of the product, but imagine a sunblock and foundation in 1? i save on the sunblock when i wear it. perfect 10 in my opinion.

and there you have it. so happy about this review as i really am confident im giving you an honest and great advice about a product that i truly believe in.

p.s. skin savvy 60 is on sale right now on the website!

be glorious,
R

swatching: a handful of inneresting mineral pigments

check it out..



i simply got these from my online shop inventory :D

planning to do some eotd's with these.

the sparkling white is amazing by the way.


be glorious,
R

just acquired

the face shop nail enamels (Php95 each), topcoat (Php 185) & nail polish remover (Php95)

my supply of pantene 3-minute miracle treament at Php300 at watson's

evian face sprays from pcx at Php410 for the biggest bottle & Php189 fore the smallest bottle


glycolic soaps at Php550 for 10 bars
sebamed sunblock lotion

p.s. i know, i know i'll give more in focus entries about my previous acquisitions.. :)

be glorious,

R

out and about: manicure and pedicure at a local spa

last weekend my sis and i went out for a manicure and pedicure.
we decided to go to a spa instead of the regular nail salons cuz we want to relax and nail salon ambiance isnt exactly too relaxing as they have mostly cramped space.
we went to my spa. it's a local spa in the south of manila and i'm a member so i get to have 10percent discount on the service.

while my spa is not as chic as the spa, it's a definitely a step up from other spas around

i chose the face shop nail enamel in BL604 for both fingernails and toenails

they put on two coats of the said nail enamel plus a topcoat of the same brand.

paid only Php560 (or 12usd) for me and my sister's mani and pedi :) and the ambiance is great and relaxing (especially if there wont be other guests who wants their tv tuned on a sleazy show! and they want full volume too!)

p.s. if you're from the south of manila, we can totally bond here :)

be glorious,
R

in FOCUS: jojoba oil as eye makeup remover (raccoon eyes and heavy eyes no more)

so i have purchased these essential oils a few weeks back and i initially intended to use the jojoba oil as a body oil as it promises to make the skin supple for even upto 24 hours after the application.
due to the p.i.a. heat in manila though i just feel too lazy to use oil for my whole body and just put on sunblock lotion whenever i go out.
of course the jojoba oil wont go to waste. as i read on the bottle, time travel products (where i purchased my jojoba oil) says it is THE BEST makeup remover. and so i thought my "almost best" is shu uemura cleansing oil premium a/i, cuz of its ability to takeoff my vmv skin savvy 60,-however i call shu uemura cleansing "almost best" for a reason-it failed to takeoff my diorshow mascara. so having found out jojoba oil can be a powerful eye makeup remover gave me hope. i made a mental note to try it asap.
the happy thing is: it didnt fail me. while shu uemura cleansing may be able to takeoff my eyeshadows and other such eyeliners, it makes my lids heavy and sleepy after using it (yea, even after rinsing thoroughly thoroughly..). jojoba oil didnt do that. it removed my eye makeup easily and while it might feel oilier than shu uemura cleansing oil, it didnt leave any residue on my eyes and didnt turned my lids heavy as well.
here are the photos so you can see for yourself.

used dollface and stila gel liners
missha oven blusher as highlighter

used about 5 drops of jojoba oil on the cotton and it easily removed the gel liners

see? nothing!

more deets:
also tried emu oil as eye makeup remover and contrary to most raves, it didnt work as great as jojoba oil. also tried jojoba oil as foundation remover and no it wasnt as effective as shu uemura cleansing oil. so this jojoba oil is really meant to be EYE MAKEUP REMOVER!

i hope my review had been of some help!

p.s. notice my lashes? rather thick but short :P bleh

these are my daughter's lashes. yes. im bragging :P and yes she got it from her papa!

be glorious,
R

fotd

emu oil as primer
vmv skin savvy 60 in pearl (which is almost used up! yay!)
benefit coralista
urban decay primer potion in original
dior travel palette eyeshadows in frosted pink, mauve and frosted white
mac hug me lipstick
evian brumisateur



be glorious,
R

do it at home: facial exfoliation

too much whiteheads & blackheads?

why dont you get yourself a facial sauna & exfoliate as often as you like at home?

got my watson's brand sauna for only Php650

you can also put A DROP of your favored essential oil on the water to set your mood :)

be glorious,R

in FOCUS: pantene 3-minute miracle treatment (younger hair!!!)

so i just recently acquired pantene 3-minute miracle treatment and i have used it once. got it for Php 299 (8 usd) for a box of 3 tubes from sm supermarket.

i must say i just got it randomly cuz i remember seeing it from a tv ad once. i thought to give it a try for my dry hair brought about by my most recent hair color and highlights. i did get loreal powerdose treatment from a salon recently, but i find that powerdose never really helped much when it comes to my damaged hair.

when i used pantene 3-minute miracle treatment, im honestly clueless whether to use it dry on its own or wet like a conditioner. never saw any detailed instructions on the box except to leave it on my hair for 3 minutes (isnt it obvious?) and to use it once a week (or as often as desired!?!) yea. another case of the manufacturer assuming their consumers will figure out how best to use their product. well, probably it's ok to use either way, i however prefer a personal, educated instructions and descriptions about the products i buy it makes me feel the sincerity of its manufacturer that they really want their product to help me, instead of me just to buy the product. (VMV hypoallergenics i love you). but with most products that you can get from your drugstores or the supermarket, you're on your own.

going back, i used pantene 3-minute miracle treatment wet just cuz i remembered to use it after i already put shampoo on my hair :P

i first squeezed (or squoze according to the sweet potato queens - love them!) the extra water from my hair after i rinsed my shampoo. then i applied pantene. it felt just like a regular conditioner.. plenty of conditioner since i used the whole tube for my shoulder-length hair (am i supposed to do that?) i must say, i dont fancy the hard plastic tube. i had to put a lot of effort in squeezing out all of the product so i dont waste any. halfway through the process, im thinking "omg! did i just used this much conditioner on my straight hair?" and felt a little remorse that maybe im just actually using an overpriced conditioner. started worrying too that it will make my hair limp and flat. anyways since there's just no going back, i rinsed it the usual manner and just made a mental note to check my hair when it dries.

busy the whole day and forgot to really take a close look at my hair until very late at night when i's doing my vmv regimen. i pleasantly noticed my hair looks kinda like it was 3 years ago and not until the following day did i realize it must be pantene's effect cuz it's looking like that consistently (yep until now, day 3! will any conditioner do that?) im bulleting now as we're on the real reason why you're still reading this entry:

good things about pantene 3-minute miracle:
- contrary to making my hair limp, it actually added volume to my hair. beautiful volume and not bushy at all like some other volumizing products would do! a happy happy thing for someone who's got very straight hair
- it really did moisturize my hair without making me feel icky because of oiliness. not as much as i'd like, but it's definitely here, 3 days after i treated
- it's 299 pesos for 3 tubes or about 100 pesos per treatment. that's 400 pesos a month against loreal's powerdose of about 1,000 pesos for a monthly treatment. and it's even better than loreal's powerdose too (in my case at least)
- you can do it at-home and it only takes 3-minutes
- easily available. who doesn't have an sm near their place?

it sucks though that:
- like i said you can't get much advice from the box or the tube
- hard to squeeze out the whole thing from its tube

and that's about it..why don't you give it a try girls! it's definitely something i'd buy again :)


be glorious,
R

just acquired

vmv hypoallergenics re-everything cleansing cream
got this for Php 800 (18usd) from sm department store
initial feedback:
i have used it 3 times and the first two times IT STUNG MY EYES! im so unhappy as i never expected something from vmv to do this. the third time i used it i just applied the cleansing cream from my cheeks below and didnt put any on my forehead and on the corners near my eyes for fear that it might sting again. i's successful in minimizing the product that would get near my eyes but it is a slow process as i gotta be careful that the water i use for rinsing isnt too much lest it will spread near my eye area.

pantene 3-minute treatment
got this for Php 299 (7usd) per box of 3 tubes from sm hypermarket
watch out for an in focus entry on this product

meanwhile, take a look at the card attached to the vmv re-everything cleansing cream

that's all for now girls!

be glorious,
R

be glorious,R

a piece of me May 2010 + an award

the sweet and uber talented nada of arabian eyes gave me this happy award! thanks babi!

and a piece of me entry

I like: my neew hair highlights :)

I don't like: sleeping late again.

I want you to know: i may be starting work soon.

I've planned:a lot of things for the kids.

I want to say to someone special: im still waiting.

what about a piece of you girlfriend?

get on here sister!


be glorious,R