Health and Beauty Geek

Contest: Beautynomics Turns Four Giveaway

hbgeek — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:53:01 +0000

Beautynomics contest alert! Wow, it’s the last day today, I hope I can snag one of the amazing prizes. Prizes at stake are:

Haircare
One winner gets 1 gift pack
4 Schwarzkopf Essensity Gift Packs ( includes a shampoo, conditioner, and texturizing mud ) – oh, I promise you’d love this ! They smell heavenly, the texturizing mud is the best I’ve tried so far – instantly makes your hair looks soft. Like naturally soft.

Fragrance
1 bottle of CK Euphoria perfume – as a CK loyalist, this is definitely an amazing addition to the CK fragrance line – the king of fragrances!
1 bottle of Kenneth Cole Black perfume – too yummy to resist. I’m so tempted to keep this to myself to give to my beau!

Skin Care Loot
( 1 winner for each item )
1 pc PCASkin C-Quench Antioxidant Serum
1 pc. Sunforgettable Perfecly Clear Retractable Brush
1 pc. Obagi Sunblock
1 pc. Colorescience Tote Bag
1 pc. Glytone Facial Wash
3 pcs. of House of Obagi Gift Certificates worth P 1,000 each

Cosmetics
Three sets of Avon Cosmetics gift pack – 1 Eyeshadow Quad, 1 Avon Glazewear Lipstick, 1 Supershock Mascara or Curlacious Mascara
Three sets of Charm Makeup Brush Set that consists of Dual Fibre brush, 2 eyeshadow brushes, and 1 concealer brush

Visit Beautynomics on details how to join. Hurry, you still have a few hours left.

Contest: Skin Food Planner Giveaway from Lizz Happy new year! Geez, the geek abandoned this blog for...

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Loreal Infallible Lip Duo Compact: testing

hbgeek — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:20:57 +0000

I discovered Loreal Infallible Lip Duo Compact accidentally at Watsons, I was actually looking for Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick because that’s the one I saw from magazine ads.

Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick

Since there’s no SA at Revlon, I wasn’t able to inquire about their testers, the SA from Loreal suddenly offered their own version, Loreal Infallible Lip Duo Compact. If Revlon lasts for 12 hours, the Infallible Lipstick lasts for 16 hours, beat that!

Loreal Infallible Lip Duo Compact

Discover our 1st longwear lip duo compact!

In just two clicks Infallible colour and comfort lasts up to 16 hours.

You’re 2 clicks away from the new shape of lip colour.

Our 1st longwear lip duo compact; seals in colour for up to 16 hours and locks in moisture.

Infallible Lip Duo Compact is around Php 900. The SA offered to swatch their 2 bestselling shades and taught me how the lipstick works. The lip duo consists of a lip color and a conditioning balm. The lip color is applied first to clean dry lips and allow to set for 1 minute. Then apply the conditioning balm to keep lips moisturized and this can be reapplied whenever necessary. I tried 102 Blush Obsession and 201 Stay Ultraviolet…

Blush Obsession (top) and Stay Ultraviolet

Blush Obsession (top) and Stay Ultraviolet, with flash

I like the Stay Ultraviolet more but the Blush Obsession looks great on fair-skinned ladies.

So does the lipstick lived up to its name, YES! I tested the lipstick earlier around 7 pm, its already 2 am as I write this and I’ve washed my hands 3 or 4 times already. I also rubbed it a few times but still the colors won’t budge. I wonder how it’ll work on the lips, though. But one thing’s for sure, Loreal Infallible Lip Duo Compact will be included in my “lemming-for” list.

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Chinese beauty products banned for containing mercury; Zhen de Shou also banned

hbgeek — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:08:29 +0000

9 Chinese beauty products are found to be laced with mercury that’s why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the Chinese-made products. FDA said that thse products contain the heavy metal mercury beyond the allowable limit of one part per million.

Below is the list of whitening creams/face creams included in the ban:

Jiao Li creams

* Jiaoli Huichusu Whitening Speckles Removal Cream
* Xin Jiao Li 7-Days Specific Eliminating Freckle Cream
* Jiao Li 10-Days Eliminating Freckle Day & Night Set
* Jiao Li 7-Days Eliminating Freckle AB Set
* Jiao Liang Miraculous Cream
* Xin Jiao Liang 7-Days Miracle Package for Spots Refining
* Jiao Mei Miraculous Cream
* Jiao Yan Specific Miraculous Cream
* Jiao Li Extra Pearl Facial Cream

Zhen de Shou slimming capsules

Meanwhile, a popular slimming tablets/capsules also from China is included in the ban because it contains steroids. These are: Zhen de Shou Fat Loss Capsule and Zhen de Shou Fat Loss Tea. (I read the news over and over again to double check if Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee is included, but it’s not…)

Geez, China manufacturers should check with the safety standards first, they are one of the biggest exporters of all sorts of products and yet their products can’t meet the standards.

Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee – a review Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee is one slimming beverage that piqued...

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Styli-Style Flat Liner 24 – a review

hbgeek — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:39:24 +0000

I’m on a shopping binge lately for health and beauty products, perhaps too much reading the Girltalk forum is BI =). One of the raves is Styli-Style products especially the eyeliners. The girls are raving about it partly because there’s an Ebay seller that sells them dirt-cheap, Styli-Style Flat Liners are Php 75 each!!! Beauty Bar sells these at approximately Php 400. So who’s that Ebay seller?… just search jnlink777.

For being such a make-up noob, I had to search first what is Styli-Style…

Styli-Style Flat Liner 24

Colors available for eyes and lips…

Styli Style Flat Liner 24 colors

I bought the Black/Brown Flat Liner from Meg (jnlink777) and she’s fantastic enough to give me another Ruby Flat Liner as freebie.

Black/Brown and Ruby Styli-Style Flat Liners

Swatches of the Flat Liner…

Styli-Style swatches

Pros:

- cheap, for only Php 75 each, how can I complain?

- creamy texture

- comes in a twist-up tubes so no more sharpening needed

- smudge-proof

Cons:

- my Black/Brown liner is a little bit drier than Ruby. So a little trouble in my application…

- twist-up tube can’t be retracted so be careful when you twist

- stocks ran out fast from Meg and if you’re hooked with this, you have to buy at Beauty Bar at approximately Php 400 each

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Butter up at Beauty and Butter

hbgeek — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:31:11 +0000

Don’t you just love facials? Count me in, 2 years ago, I was plagued with severe acne because of allergic reactions but good thing, a few trips to Dermclinic cleared my skin. Facials from Dermclinic involves pricking which I always wanted to skip. i just love the massage and masks part during facials. Beauty & Butter heard my plea when I had my facial at their Megamall branch.

Beauty & Butter, SM Megamall

Beauty & Butter is a newly opened nail art salon in at the 5th Flr. of SM Megamall Bldg. A. They specialize in nail art but they also have foot and hand spa and of course, facials. I was gravitated by their edgy facade that’s why I took a look at their list of services at the board displayed just outside the salon. I love the names and descriptions of their services…

Beauty and Butter list of services

I peeked at the interiors and saw cool and comfy chairs so I decided to give it a go.

Beauty and Butter interior

The most basic facial, Beauty and Butter Facial costs Php 250 because it doesn’t include masks. I opted for their Those were the Days facial for Php 350, mask included. The facial involved cleansing, facial massage, facial scrub, a very cool eye mask and a ginseng-based mask. I’m not big on the scent of ginseng but that’s the mask that comes with my treatment, I’ll try other treatment next time. The attendant was kind enough to ask if I wanted pricking and I said no. Just the facial massage and other face pampering is better.

The facial lasted for an hour, I must have dozed off at some point of my facial because I feel revived after the facial. The comfy chairs and cozy lighting made me relax even more. I plan to have my mani/pedi or foot spa on my next visit, look how the foot spa spaces/chairs are clean and classy …

inside B&B

Beauty and Butter also has branches in SM San Lazaro and Mall of Asia. The Mall of Asia branch is quite small compared to Megamall.

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Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee – a review

hbgeek — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:41:33 +0000

Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee is one slimming beverage that piqued my curiosity thus made me buy a box to try it out. Since college, I veered away from slimming teas and the likes because the ones I’ve tried before just made me do frequent trips to the comfort room and triggered my hyperacidity.

Last year, I really gained weight and most of the bulges concentrated on my hips, butt and thigh. I wasn’t able to exercise unlike before when I got to participate on running events. My friend, Hazel of Veruca, who’s also my supplier of Cyleina soaps, only has positive reviews about Leisure 18 that’s why I got interested. Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee won’t give you undesirable side effects like diarrhea, palpitations and dizziness. I bought one box from her for Php 220 which contains 18 sachets, good for 18 days.

Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee box

The coffee tastes bland, and honestly I can’t consume it alone so I added more Nescafe 3-in-1 for flavor and color.

Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee sachet

As per the instruction, I take it before breakfast, or in my case, before going to work because I get to have my brunch when I arrive at the office. I already experienced the effect on the first day, I lost my appetite which is very very rare, but I still forced to eat my brunch but didn’t finish the whole serving since I felt full unexpectedly. Throughout the day, I don’t have any food cravings even when it’s already snack time. I just grabbed some crackers and soda just so I can eat something but I really don’t feel hungry the rest of the day. What I really love about it is that I completely forgot about my chocolates addiction, even when faced with chocolates and junk foods at the grocery, nothing seem to tickle my taste buds.

I feel really thirsty the whole day though, but I think it’s also good because I get to increase my water intake. I think the coffee has high caffeine content because there are some nights that I’m still awake at 3 am, not good for students and people who must get up early.

As for other side effects, I did experience dizziness and slight palpitations on my first week. But I guess it’s manageable and continued drinking this for 7 straight days. Unfortunately, I got sick the week after my “slimming coffee week” so I decided to stop drinking it until I get well. The second “slimming coffee week” was a better experience for me because no palpitations and dizziness this time. Of course, different strokes for different folks right? So if you want to know about other experiences of Leisure 18 users, there’s a thread at Girltalk forum where girls share their own experiences.

Did I lose weight? YES! After only consuming 7 sachets, Jeff noticed my uber-huge-thighs got smaller. I became confident wearing leggings too! My pants got a little looser and my tummy got smaller. I still have few sachets left because I’m not drinking it for 18 straight days. I’m just taking it weekly, then the week after that. I still get results so I’m satisfied and comfortable with this routine.

Chinese beauty products banned for containing mercury; Zhen de Shou also banned 9 Chinese beauty products are found to be laced with...

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Etude House haul

hbgeek — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:13:19 +0000

Etude House opened its first branch in the Philippines at SM Megamall Bldg. A. Korean beauty product fanatics trooped to Megamall since its first opening day. Megamall is too far from my place that’s why I only get to visit the store last Saturday. Finding the store is easy, it’s located at the ground floor near Toy Kingdom. The moment I entered the store, I was awed, it’s like entering a princess’ bedroom, with insanely pink and blue interiors and girly ornaments and decorations. A princess indeed, upon entering the store, I was greeted by sales assistants clad in their pink/white uniforms with “Hello princess!”.

Etude House Megamall branch

Etude House Megamall

insanely girly interiors

I think it took me almost an hour inside the store because I was enjoying trying out the testers from nail polishes, lipsticks, lotions, foundations, etc… Etude House has a lot of lipsticks, lip glosses and lip tints, they have more collection of products for lippies than eyeshadows and foundations. The lipsticks come in mostly pink shades though, only a few of them have reddish shades.

testers galore

Etude House haul

My Etude House haul:

1. Peach Cheek Blusher 04 Smile Peach – Php 428

2. Dear Darling Tint No.2 Real Red (lip tint) – Php 198

3. Apricot Stick Gloss (like a tinted lip balm) – Php 198

4. Dear Darling Ultra Firming Lips No.4 (the only red lipstick I found) – Php 448

5. Plumping Lip Tint No.1 (love the minty feel on my lips) – Php 348

6. 5 pcs. Essence Masks (Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen, Vit. E – Php 58 each

7. 2 pcs. nail polish – Php 98 and Php 58

8. 2 pcs. Code B Mini Eyelash Curlers and Lee Min Ho file folders are freebies

My fave among my haul is the Dear Darling Tint and Plumping Lip Tint. Review to follow on future posts.

Dear Darling Tint No. 2 Real Red

Plumping Lip Tint No.1

I think I’m gonna be addicted to this store, I hope their SM North Edsa branch will open soon. Prices are very reasonable, way cheaper than Skin Food and The Face Shop. The packaging are really nice too! Reminds me of Anna Sui….

My only peeve is that I hope that their SAs will be trained and will be knowledgeable about their products. I’m asking about the difference of the lipsticks since they have lots and the SA said they’re all the same. Maybe they can also put English descriptions beside the testers so that customers won’t have to ask their SAs. Oh, and I do hope they will smile or just put a blank face instead of frowning the whole time, just like the cashier did. And no she’s not frowning because I’m taking photos, she’s like that the whole time.

Smile, princess =)

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Contest: Skin Food Planner Giveaway from Lizz

hbgeek — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:16:16 +0000

Happy new year! Geez, the geek abandoned this blog for 3 months. Well, part of my New Year’s resolution is to diet, exercise, eat healthy, skin pampering sessions and yeah, write on this blog more. I have beauty products lined up for review especially my Etude House visit at Megamall.

To start this blog rollin’, let me share to you Lizz Buenaventura’s Skin Food Planner Giveaway. Mechanics is easy, just follow her blog and tell your favorite skin care product by leaving a comment on her blog post, Skin Food Planner Giveaway.

Contest: Beautynomics Turns Four Giveaway Beautynomics contest alert! Wow, it’s the last day today, I...

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Choosing the right BB cream

hbgeek — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:06:24 +0000

With so many BB creams (Blemish Balm creams) out there, it’s difficult to choose the right BB cream that’s perfect for your skin and needs. I ordered different BB cream samples too but like many other BB cream fanatics, I have yet to try other brands to see what’s best for my skin. In Korea, consumers are lucky because Korean stores are generous on giving samples so they don’t have to spend in trying out products. Here in the Philippines, those samples are sell for Php 50-Php 200 pesos but it’s better than buying the whole tube which costs a little over a thousand. My fave seller of BB creams from Multiply, Trinketi, made a chart that can help you choose the BB cream that’s right for your skin. It’s very helpful that I have to ask permission from her to repost this in my blog. Please click the photos for larger view.

Determine your skin shade:

determine your skin shade

Determine your skin type:

know your skin type

Determine the properties of BB cream brands:

Missha BB creams

Skin 79

Dr. Jart, Etude House, Lioele/Legere

Hanskin and BRTC

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Human Heart Nature Shampoo and Conditioner – a review

hbgeek — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:15:00 +0000

Human Heart Nature is a local company that sells organic, 100% Philippine ingredients and 100% chemical-free personal care products. Human Heart Nature products are one of my first few buys that are organic so I ordered trial sizes first especially their shampoo and conditioner. Trial sizes are 50 ml. and only priced at Php 29.75, (less than a dollar). After finishing up the trial sizes, I ordered full sizes, 200 ml., of Aloe Vera Nourishing Shampoo and Mango Butter Nourishing Conditioner both in Mandarin scent.

Aloe Vera Nourishing Shampoo, Mandarin scent, Php 94.75/200 ml

Aloe Vera Nourishing Shampoo in Mandarin:

Until now, only the most privileged people have been able to afford the goodness of organic shampoos. But today, for the first time, organic shampoos are now available at a price that’s affordable for almost everyone! Your hair is easily damaged by harsh chemicals in many shampoos leading to hair loss and premature hair aging. Try our 100% organic Aloe Vera Nourishing shampoo with nature’s best ingredients for soft, healthy locks and be amazed at how you can regain the shine and softness of healthy hair… and indulge in refreshingly yummy scents to reinvigorate your senses too! Choose refreshing PEPPERMINT or zesty LEMONGRASS extracts for normal finish or citrus MANDARIN extract with EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL for silky smooth hair.

The shampoo has a thick consistency with a tinge of yellow. I love the mandarin scent on my hair, it gives you a fresh clean feeling afterwards. I thought that since the shampoo is of organic kind, I don’t expect it to give a sudsy lather, but I was surprised that it lathers more than commercial shampoos I used. A pea-sized amount goes a long way. After rinsing, you’ll feel your hair to be squeaky clean and yet rough. My husband Jeff got used to it though since men generally have short hair and they don’t have to worry about conditioning their hair. But for me, I follow it up with their conditioner.

Mango Butter Nourishing Conditioner, Php 89.75/200 ml

Mango Butter Nourishing Conditioner in Mandarin:

Want soft, strong hair like Rapunzel? Mango butter heals and regenerates hair cuticles for soft, touchable hair that won’t break easily. Handy when you’ve got a handsome prince hanging on to your hair! Choose PEPPERMINT or LEMONGRASS for normal finish or MANDARIN or UNSCENTED for silky smooth hair.

Unlike the shampoo which has a thick consistency, the conditioner is a little runny with watery consistency. It still has the mandarin scent that I love. Despite its consistency, it works well and made my hair smooth and soft. The only downside is that the scent does not last long throughout the day.

Even my mother is raving about the shampoo and conditioner, at first, she was reluctant to try these. But after a few uses, she even pointed out that with continued use, her hair feels softer and became less dull and dry. One proof that patience is a virtue. At first, you won’t notice any effect on your hair but who knows, it’s working to get rid of hair’s impurities first due to use of commercial chemical-laden shampoo and conditioner.

Our whole family switched to organic hair care and is using HHN hair care line. If you want to try HHN products, you can order the trial sizes first to see what’s best for your hair type. HHN accepts credit card payments on their site.

Human Heart Nature website: http://www.humanheartnature.com/

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