In2it Moisture Release Lipstick in Flame

ME, IN A RED LIPSTICK?!
I needed a little oomph in the lipstick department so I went around to look for a nice shade. I already have pinks and peaches so I would like some deep red color just because.

I got In2it's Moisture Release lipstick in Flame from a department store. I tried it out with the tester and I was astounded at the pigmentation. It was flaming red like I've never seen before. I'm too used to the pinks and peaches. I was doubting if I should take it because it costs around P420.00 something and I can only use it sparingly or during special occasions. Then Randy swiped it from my hands and bought it for me. WOW! I think he was in a hurry and I was being too indecisive! LOL!



You can see how really red it is. It's totally seriously red. But what I like best about this is that it is wonderfully moisturizing and doesn't create cracks or make the lines of my lips prominent like other lipstick seem to do (I like Nyx but it shows the lines on application.)

It glides easily and a single swipe has a lot of color already. Its not hard to apply. Its a great line to try out for those who like lipsticks but are suffering from chappy lips.



It looks a little orangey here don't you think? Maybe its the afternoon sunshine.

Thanks for reading! :)

Full of Lace

What's keeping me busy these days? Well, not much. Things have been kind of slow lately so I'm trying new things and spreading my skills into handmade crafts.

I've always been a huge huge fan of romantic dresses and accessories. I like tulle, satin, lace, other sheer fabrics, pearls and rhinestones, pastel colors and soft floral designs. It's a little general if I describe it, but here's a picture of what I had in mind from a picture taken from SuperKawaiiMama :

That shop is heaven! Those stuff are so beautiful! I would love to browse that store. Most of the time I can't find it here from where I am, and I always end up disappointed. I browse for it in various online stores and sometimes if I'm lucky I find a piece or two.

Because I have a lot of time on my hands now, I went to some craft stores and found lovely rolls of lace and ribbons, got some rhinestones and pearls and various delicate fabrics that I think I will use.

Overnight, I managed to make one bracelet. This one is made up of antique lace and faux pearls. Those aren't easy to make as I thought. But I really enjoyed it, especially when I finished all the pearls and proceeded to make the rose out of a gray ribbon. I sewed it on one end of the bracelet and there! I finished it!



I also made some other stuff because I purchased a bigger roll of lace in a different design. I made a headband...

I also put it on my favorite barrette (because it needs that oomph!)

And finally a small lacey hair accessory that I am currently using when I go out! The design is a clone of the decoration on the headband above. I really really like this because I can put it anywhere, not just on my hair. I also wear it as a little brooch or put it on on my cellphone keychain too.

I just bought a couple of strings of pearls, as well as pink and gold ribbon. I'm thinking of making more hair accessories for me and my friends to wear. I really love those from Jesus Diamante, a japanese hime gyaru fashion brand. I'll try to look for some inspirations too! :)

thanks for reading!

Meiji Amino Collagen Powder

Oprah featured the Meiji Amino Collagen Powder as "The Japanese Women's Secret to Youth and Beauty" in one of their shows and it is an instant hit for those beauty-conscious women all over the world trying to find an effective supplement to fight against aging and restore their youthful skin.

I have a sister who lives in Japan, so I talked to her to ask if she could find me a can of collagen powder. Little did I know, she drinks regularly those instant collagen drinks from Shiseido! Those are pricey but all the women she knows swear by the drink. She also told me how collagen is a HUGE thing in Japan, and how everything advertises collagen now. HUGE market, I tell you. They have collagen lipstick and lipglosses, collagen ingredients in mascara, pure collagen+vit e soaps, fruit juices with collagen and anti-aging, and even lemon flavored collagen candy!


WHEW!

It was easy peasy for her to get me the Meiji powder as it is available in convenience stores, even. I just asked her for a can, instead of hoarding a lot. I'm not too sure if I'll like it. So there are sellers from ebay and multiply who have this, but they jack the price up sooo much! I saw one selling this for around P1,500 and another for P2,000. My sister told me that she bought it around the price range for P400-500! Better find a relative who's in Japan and let them buy for you guys!

Amino collagen promises a "beautiful, smooth and toned skin", helping it become "supple, radiant and moist" with regular use. One review from Lioness in Japan who's a collagen drinker herself found that she had a youthful look to her after taking the powder regularly.

In her website she tells of another experience with Amino collagen:

"She witnessed a Japanese gal pal’s transformation a year after she left for Taipei and returned for a visit in Japan — apparently her middle-aged friend’s skin changed dramatically from a papery, dry state to becoming more supple and smooth. All the friends in their group jumped into the habit immediately. My student took it for four months and I thought she looked much better. Let me clarify that her fine lines were still there but the texture of her skin looked more plump and youthful." Taken from Lioness in Japan

Very nice piece of information, right?

Lets open the can shall we...






The Meiji can has a plastic scoop inside, and it helps regulate your collagen intake. The first thing I noticed about the powder is that its not finely milled. It seems a little coarse compared to most milk powders. But the powder is very light! The second thing I noticed is the smell...

THE SMELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok so this isn't the nastiest thing in the world, but its not the most fragrant-smelling either. I researched a little about collagen and found out that Meiji Amino Powder comes from fish-derived collagen. No wonder it smells a little funky. Whenever I open the can, I kind of hold my breath a little.

I prepared a normal Milo drink which I take everyday (yes, everyday! It gives me a little energy boost in the morning.) and added a scoop of collagen powder which consists of 5,000mg of collagen, which is the recommended daily intake. You can take Amino Collagen in any drink you drink regularly/everyday, be it a fruit juice, tea, morning soup, chocolate or milk drink.

I heard somewhere that Amino collagen powder is best taken at night before you go to sleep. And it is most absorbed by the body in an empty stomach, or else you drink it 2-3 hours after a full/heavy meal, or 1-2 hours after a light meal.

But what can I do, this package from Japan arrived around 9:00am and I was too excited to wait until bedtime! :)

What can I say about my initial taste?
.
.
.
.
.
As you might have guessed....
.
.
.
.

It tastes NASTY.

LOL!

For what is advertised as a "FLAVORLESS" powder, it sure distorts the smell and taste of Milo! At the first big sip I nearly choked and the second sip I made a face, until the last drop I was mildly disgusted. I finished it all because I couldn't very well throw this "Canned Fountain of Youth" away now, could I?

There are people who only mix the collagen with water, and I can't fathom how they could stand the taste and smell!

"This is healthy", I kept on telling myself. "You're 23 and the amount of collagen in the body plunges downwards after 20!"

....Or maybe I should get a bigger mug of Milo, because the ratio should be 1 scoopfull in a 150ml drink. I think I barely reached 100ml in that little teacup. Maybe that's why the collagen taste is so pronounced? I'll try better next time.



If you're in a diet, you can still incorporate the Meiji Amino Collagen in your daily intake as it is Sugar-and-sweetener free, and only contains 27 calories and 0.08 grams of fat! Those are virtually nothing for the price of 5,000mg of beauty-enhancing collagen :)

Thanks for reading!

Beauty Secret: Insanely Smooth Feet

I'm going to share to you my secret in maintaining healthy, smooth and supple skin on the feet. I'm sure many of you practice this...

One of my favorite parts of my body (and there's very few of them) is my feet. It is something I take care of as much as I can and it has fast pay off as far as I can tell. My toes, sole and heels are all accounted for! That's why I'm proud to say that my heels aren't chappy, my soles don't have thick skin, and the skin on my feet are nice to touch.

I think that we should all take care of our feet. They're the farthest from our body, and sometimes we neglect them. I don't buy those expensive foot creams to keep the skin soft, I buy only drugstore products but I make sure that it does its job well.

I do this routine every night after I cleanse and moisturize my face and body.

1. START WITH CLEAN FEET

Take a small damp towel and clean your feet all over. Its best to swipe the instep, the heels and in between the toes. If you want to disinfect your feet, its good too. Take an isoprophyl alcohol, spread the fluid on the towel and gently pat on the skin.

2. PREPARE YOUR STUFF

Doesn't take much to achieve this! All you need is a moisturizer and a pair of socks (even mismatched pairs like mine! LOL!) Just like any part of the body, you need to moisturize the feet. All you need is your favorite lotion or even a face moisturizer that you like. I think that those get soaked very easily. I used Lander Hydrating Cocoa Butter since it's virtually always on my bodycare stash that I take it out rarely because I only use it if I have some dry parts of on the body like my elbows and knees. As much as possible use those lotion that were designed for dry skin.

3. START MOISTURIZING

Take a generous amount and spread liberally on your feet! Take note that you may have to apply it 2-3 times to get the desired thickness. The more you apply the better! Have fun massaging your foot, and make sure to get the skin in between the toes, too. It is important that you get more lotion on the driest part of your foot.



4. COVER!
Leave the whole thing overnight and there you are! The first time I tried this I had to wait after 3 consecutive days for the smoothening to take effect. I had super dry, and scaly heels before, but with regular moisturizing soaks, my feet are callus free and super soft now!

Take care! :)

My Silly Little Makeup/Skincare Stash

"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud"
-Coco Chanel

When I started this blog, all the make up I had were Maybelline Pressed Powder and an Alba Organics Terra Tints Lipbalm. I didn't even have a proper lipstick, no eyeliner, no eyeshadows or blush! Err, well, Ok so up to now I still don't have any eyeshadows and blush (shocking right?) but I'm remedying that with the Majolica Majorca jeweling line soon! I looked at the other ladies' stash and I am just floored at how many stuff you have to have on your drawer.

I wish I had that many brush, I wish I had that many palettes, I wish I had that many shades of pink and peach blushes! Even TheMakeupSob has like 200 lipsticks!? Goodness! XD

I used to believe you only need one of each thing to keep you satisfied. Especially when you find the color that suits your face. If I didn't start on this beauty blog, I would have scoffed at someone for having 10 lipsticks, "HOW NINCOMPOOPY! THAT MANY? WHAT DOES SHE THINK SHE IS, SOME KIND OF ALIEN WITH 10 LIPS?!?" Hahah, that kind of thinking. Now, I believe that you just can't have enough. There are so many shades to choose from. So many brands to try. So many things to buy! It's a downward spiral actually.

So I am here to show you what I have. Its so meager, I tell you. I don't even have to review most of the products here because you all have probably tried it already, or wouldn't really try it because you have a better product than what I have.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS.

LOL. See? So small! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I want more! But some they say its not a matter of how much you have, but if what works for you. Well all of them do their job well, surprisingly. I'm not really sure about how valid that claim is though, maybe I'm just saying that because I don't know any better? LOL! I freaking hope not!

TOP MOST: FACE STUFF
1. Biore Moisturizer - Daily moisturizer for face and neck. This is so good to me.
2. Clean and Clear Moisturizer - Didn't work for me because it left weird streaks and left me looking freakishly gray (I'm guessing because of the sunscreen) so I use it on my feet during daytime! Well, I hate wasting products and it has SPF 15 and its moisturizing enough anyway.
3. Nivea Sparkling White Night Cream - Very nice! This did lighten my skin! I'll post a review of this soon, along with the Nivea Sparkling White Foaming Face Wash.
4. Shiseido Revital Cream - I use this sparingly. It has a tendency of overmoisturizing me! Leaves me oily when I put it on at night. I only use it when I am in total need of something non-drying.
5. Nivea Age Defying Hand Cream Q10 - Keeps the skin on my hands soft, has a really nice smell too. My palms stopped being too rough - it used to be so rough like crazy! It also has a lightening effect somehow, the skin on my knuckles used to be like a 5 shades darker, now its just like 2 shades darker than the skin all around it. Its such a surprise. Sometimes I use it on my toes too, if I'm feeling particularly worried about that part of my feet. Hands? Feet? They're basically the same anyway.

FIRST LAYER
1. Pink and white box - my usual face stuff! All of them are staples. Well except the careline blush which seems to never work on my face
2. Transparent box - nail stuff. Some Skinfood, Etude, Revlon and Caronia. I have a trusty sharp nail thingy that I have no idea what's called.
3. Blue Box #1 - Lip stuff! Some NYX and an IN2IT lippie (which I will post a swatch soon- It probably the most moisturizing lipstick I've tried), Godiva and The Body Shop balm.
4. Blue Box #2 - Eye stuff! Fashion21 eyeliner that smudges so bad, a jumbo eyeliner from San San, eye makeup remover pen from Revlon, Shiseido Integrate Darcy lipliner, Maybelline Volum Express and Victorias Secret Very Sexy mascara

SECOND LAYER
Some stocks that don't use yet. The kojic soap and tissues, some random mineral concealer and eyeshadow samples, Beauty Credit lipgloss and the Majolica Majorca pressed powder.

The third layer is my jewelry stash. Not much and all of them are fashion jewelry anyway! Most of them are gifts as the only jewelry I bought are the handmade swarovski ones from Pumpkinbeads.

ALSO, I NEED BRUSHES!! DO YOU SEE BRUSHES THERE?!?! YEAH!! I DIDN'T TOO!! Darn it. I need brushes. I can't seem to find the best one that fits my budget.

There! I posted it! Now you know why I don't do FOTDs because I look bare all the time! No fancy eyeshadows or blushes to make my face pop up or anything. My nail stash is so tiny not much color mixing and stamping I can do, so no NOTDs too! I'll wait a couple of months until I'll build it up. Do share with us your make up drawer/cabinet/stash/traincase/kit/whatever you have :)

How about you guys?
Did you start with a lot of make up already or did you accumulate that over the months/years?

Thanks for reading! See you around! :)

Bioré® Pore Perfect Shine Control Oil-Free Moisturizer

The first time I heard of the brand Bioré was when I was watching one of the youtube beauty gurus, Michelle Phan. She featured some great brands I haven't heard before like ROC and Queen Helene. I remembered that I saw a moisturizer, exfoliator, and deep cleansing wipes that were from Bioré on our department store (it was next to J/A/S/O/N/ and I love their organic line!). Since I needed a new moisturizer since the Clean and Clear Facial Moisturizer with Vitamin C and SPF 15 didn't work for me, I went ahead and bought 2 Bioré Shine Free Moisturizer.

Now I heard good things from Michelle Phan about this brand and I was ecstatic that at the first try I really really really REALLY love the product! From the first time I tried this out until now, it hasn't disappointed me! I used to hate putting on moisturizer before because it left weird streaks on my face and neck, and made me go gray all over. I had some hesitancy over purchasing moisturizers but I really can't do away with it. I need to keep my skin elastic and supple! Ugh to wrinkles and bad skin!

Its a great product to recommend, since I am in love with it. Its my staple moisturizer and it will take a LOT to have me switch to another one/another brand. My face has become smoother somehow, and it is especially smooth after every time I slather it on. It doesn't have SPF, brightening, whatever but it does its work to keep my face oil-free for at least 6 hours (I put it on in the morning before I start working and it lasts.)

Pros
1. Does not clog pores! Its really nice because its a very very light moisturizer.
2. Controls shine during the day very well. It dries matte and keeps the skin really smooth afterwards.
3. Hygenic because it has a pump. Plus points because it pumps easily and because of that you can have a little control on how much product goes out.
4. Readily available in beauty care aisles in malls.
5. VERY VERY AFFORDABLE! Its usual price is P265.00 ($6) and for a 50ml pump bottle thats a frikkin' steal. And then it went and got marked down at P84.50 ($2) just recently!!!!!!!!! I AM GOING TO HOARD! (I bought 2 at the first purchase.)

Cons
1. Weird smell especially when spreading it on the face. Its not that it smells totally bad, but I'm kind of used to the whole fruity/floral smell of my skincare stuff. For me the smell kind of reminds me of opening a boxful of books. It's not that it's rotten, but it smells like something very earthy.

I usually pump a coin-sized amount. This is for the face only. I spread it as evenly as I can on my forehead, temples, cheeks, nose, around my mouth, and my chin. Its very easy to work with since its almost watery.

Spread it all around. At first its kind of fluid like but give it time and more spreading motions and your skin will soak it all up!
There you go. Moisturized! But matte! I love it. If you can feel my arms its really smooth.

Step:
1. Moisturize (Bioré Moisturizer)
2. Cover (Skinfood Aloe BB Cream SPF 20 PA++)
3. Veil (Skinfood Buckwheat Loose Powder #23 - used Ellana retractable kabuki brush)

Its really so good that its my staple moisturizer. I always layer it on my face before the bb cream and it prevents me from getting oily. I don't agree with mixing moisturizer and foundation/bb cream, some people do this and it weirds me out. I guess because the moisturizer is supposed to seep in through the skin, whereas foundation and bb creams are supposed to be on the surface only. Putting moisturizer before helps my bb cream become more spreadable, since it glides so easy with the moisturizer on.

Hopefully this is helpful to Nikki she requested this as she's on the lookout for a moisturizer. Recommend her your own! Go to her site

A Bus Trip to Nowhere

I've been feeling pretty down lately...

There are times that I just need to get away. And today was THAT time. I want that time to go somewhere we don't go almost daily, like the mall, the park, our usual eating place. I feel totally sick and tired of seeing those places. I want to see other things! Anything! I feel so cooped up or caged...

I want to see something new and I'm really grateful that Randy the Boyfrun understood. We've never traveled together before, not for lack of planning. But in the end something comes up and all our plans go kaboosh. But this day right then he took me to the bus terminal and asked me abruptly to pick out a bus that will take us to the place I'm interested in going! CRAZY LOL!

Because I really wanted to experience this kind of spontaneity, I picked one which I thought was pretty easy to get to (I'm also scared that we can't go back home) and which took less than 2 hours of travel. And off we went to the provincial countryside!





The sights and sounds are very refreshing! In that place, you can see a whole sky! No tall buildings to dim the streets, as the highest building there is probably just 4 storeys tops! And the only mode of public commute there is the green vehicles above. There are so many of them, too!

Its so different from the city. Though I can say that I'd rather live in the city for the convenience it brings. It takes so long to get to the nearest bank! Or hospital!

After we looked around and ate at a cantina, we took the bus to the city. After that he got his car and delivered me safely back home.

Yay, finally, a picture!? Hahah.

I hope to do this again soon. But I'm sated now. I got to see a new province lol and eat there too! I'm happy now.

We Have A Giveaway Winner!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone who have joined my giveaway! It means a lot to me to have you guys! (^___^)

I gathered the entries from the comments box and here's the complete list! (which surprised me btw, because I thought it would be like just less than 10 but lo and behold- we have 17 entries!)

1 CamRenRai16(SHOBE)

2 CHARRY

3 rhaindropz

4 Nix

5 Cabyness

6 Sherry

7 Calia Yang

8 trizh űű

9 RHiiAN

10 // krissy ♥

11 ♥ mia

12 beauty and geekness

13 madhel

14 Nina

15 ayn

16 yhen said...

17 luckyfinds


And here is the winner via random.org

CONGRATS CHARRY of EYECANDY!!!!!

Please send me your mailing address so I can ship you your prizes ASAP! :)

And for all of you guys, thanks so much! I'll be sure to do more giveaways in the future.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL OF YOU!

See you around,
-Aicha

My Morning Skincare Routine

Hello! Just thought I'd like to share my daily skincare regimen. I kind of do something different for both day and night, because I have products that are good for daytime and some products are best when applied at night.

A little background about me, I work online full time that's 9-6pm staying in my room all day so I don't get much sun exposure! I don't do strenous activities too because I just sit all day and type, get up to eat or take some 10 minutes off away from the laptop (a must) and at night my recreational activity is when I go out with friends or with the boyfriend on the weekends. I kind of stay up pretty late if I go out. But most of the time especially on weekdays, I stay in to finish the book I'm reading.

So here is my morning skincare routine:

1. Nivea Sparkling White Face Wash- This is my current favorite face cream because it does the job of cleansing and clarifying very well. It smells really calming and it's perfect for my budget!

In the morning, I don't like scrubbing my face at all so this is perfect. I use this in my morning shower and it feels creamy and rich and has a nice lather. What I like about it is that after washing my face looks really clear, smooth and nicely lightened.

I've had creams in the past that is pretty hard to rinse off because its too moisturizing, but this product is very easy to rinse off and gives your face quite a tight feeling afterwards. It makes my face less oily during the day.



2. Biore Oil-Free Shine Control Moisturizer - This is my staple moisturizer! I can't go on a day without this on my face. I love it because the moisturizer cream is so light but not totally watery and goopy. I sometimes think that this product was designed with me in mind (haha lol!) because it keeps my face hydrated without the oily, icky shine.

The one thing I don't like is the smell... I like it when my products smell nice, but this one isn't floral or fruity and what not, but it's not exactly smelly.

I like it enough because it keeps my skin soooo smooth ever since I started using it.

3. iWhite Skin Whitening Vita Facial Cream - I mainly use this for the SPF 15 when I'm just at home away from the sun and working infront of the PC.

Before, I was using Clean and Clear SPF15 Moisturizer with Vitamin C for the sunblock but I kind of observed that it was oxidizing and making my face look pale-purpleish. I didn't like the cream as well because it wasn't very absorbent and sometimes left streaks.

I was going through Watson's and was open to try the iWhite products. I first bought a sachet of this and tried it for 3 consecutive days. It settled nicely on my skin and I've been using it for almost 2 weeks now.


4. When I go out during the day I ditch the iWhite in my regimen and use Skinfood Aloe BB Cream SPF 20. I like it well enough because it helps me achieve that flawless look I love.

I use BB creams and I consider them more on skincare than makeup. Other people can say otherwise but well... I love it because it helps cover AND reduce the blemishes in my face. I especially love it when I am photographed and some of my friends wonder why I look flawless. It has helped reduced my darkspots gradually, too.

My full-sized tube is running out so I really hope that the Skinfood Mushroom BB Cream SPF 20 comes next week! You might be wondering why I'm going to use a different product when the aloe is already good to me. Well, I am going to try out a new one and see how it fares. Aloe makes me kind of oily after 3-4 hours and I have to blot and apply my Ellana oil-absorbing finishing powder again.

Well, that's just about it for my morning skincare routine! Basic products, and they really work well for me. I'm actually looking into Skinfood products and Innisfree products. I'll try some testers out if they sit in well with my skin. I have yet to branch out my line but I don't like to experiment with my face very much. That's why some of my friends who are into makeup and skincare have what they themselves call a "wonky face" because they apply various kinds or products and finding out a little later that it doesn't work or worse, they have bad side effects like redness, tiny pimple-like bumps or give them breakouts.

I love my skin because it doesn't give me much acne (except 1-2 pimples at the onset of my menstruation) though it has little bumps and craters but I think they are pretty normal anyway, everybody has them.

Thanks for reading you guys! See you around!

Southeast Asia Youth Movement

SEACHANGE YES2009 TRIP

From yes2009.asia:

The Youth Engagement Summit (YES2009) is a platform to create a cadre of engaged, active youth leaders dedicated to making positive changes happen in their communities and in the world. Youths are not just leaders of the future, they are today's leaders in their own schools and communities.

Hence, it is with this in mind that the Youth Engagement Summit has been established to bring together youths, active youth leaders, world leaders in business, government, entertainment, and the general public to a platform where opinions, discussions and experiences can be shared.

The 2-day summit which is hosted in Kuala Lumpur this November, brings together some of the most inspiring, engaging Global Change Icons.

We’re giving 500 Southeast Asian youths an opportunity to be inspired, meet people and experience Malaysia in all its glory. Why are you still there reading this? Head over to http://youthsays.com/seachange for the next step!

What will you get when you are part of SEACHANGE?

Free Trips to YES2009 Worth USD$2,500

Do the survey for the SEACHANGE YOUTH REPORT. Be heard by global leaders. Be in the running free trips to YES2009 worth USD$2,500 each!

• Learn more about YES2009
• Learn more about the rules and regulations of the FREE TRIP

Meet youths who share your goals

Ask them questions, get answers, share ideas, meet friends who have the same goals.

Get support from leaders and organizations

We have partner organizations ready to develop programs to help you with your personal change needs. The more youths voice out on what they need, the more programs, opportunities, and activities we can bring in!

Your membership in SEACHANGE also means you're part of the YouthSays.com community

YouthSays.com specializes in bringing organizations to listen to youths. We've helped Malaysian youths be part of 200+ research projects and organized the country's largest youth festival with them. This means SEACHANGE will get proven support... but focused on more partners and more of your personal needs!

SEND YOUR NAME IN!

Aicha's Pink Motif Giveaway!

Hi guys!! Finally its time for my GIVEAWAY!!!!!!! Nothing really fancy but I hope we have some fun!

First of all this is a Philippine-only giveaway, so I am mighty sorry for my friends who live outside my country. I really don't have enough to fork over for the shipping fee. But if you're from outside the country but you can provide me with a Philippine address (friends/relatives that can send you this little package) then by all means, I strongly encourage you to enter!
Giveaway ends on OCTOBER 30 12:00mn you guys! I hope I have at least 8 people who will join. I WILL DRAW THE WINNER VIA RANDOM.ORG IF I CAN LEARN HOW TO USE IT! HAHAHAH. I will announce the winner the very next day.

HOW TO WIN:
1. Follow me!
2. Post a this giveaway on your blog (nothing really fancy, just a little line along with your regular blog post is already awesome to encourage people to join in on the fun)
3. Comment me with your name and email, and answer this little question so I can get to know you a little bit better: DO YOU LIKE PINK? WHY? WHY NOT?

"I just recently like pink! I used to hate pink because I couldn't wear it as my mom deemed me too morena to wear pink. It used to make me feel sad so I started resenting pink! But when I started looking after myself, prettifying myself I found out that I can wear pink if I wanted to! WHO CARES! I like pink... BECAUSE I CAN! It made me think that nobody can tell me what to do at all!"

It doesn't have to be that long. Or it doesn't have to be that short! LOL! AND HERE ARE THE DETAILS OF THE PRIZES !

be CREATION's Crayon 3-Colors Eye Shadow C3E (802)

Click for a larger picture!
I hope you'll like it! The first eyeshadow is a really nice maroon color, the second is such a cute pink shade! Super cute! And the last shade is a glittery white.



be CREATION's Crayon Cheek Color (CCH 802)
A really great peach color! I don't wanna swatch it because it means opening the plastic cover all over it and I don't like swatching stuff that other people will use. More surprise for the winner anyway! ^____^




be CREATION's Crayon False Eylashes
I've seen most of the ladies here put on false eyelashes and I myself wanted to try it but I have yet to learn how to put it on. Anyways this is for you ladies to enjoy, I just hope the winner mails me and tells me how it looks on her! I like this because it looks natural enough :)



BeautyCredit's Auto Lip Gloss OR07
I have this in the same color as well! And this is a really nice light pink gloss that has shimmery stuff, too. It makes your lips suuuper shiny and pretty. Its a nice enough gloss to wear everyday.





Your Heart and Mine Swarovski Earrings
This is what I've been waiting for to complete my giveaway! Finally I have it with me and I want to thank Kathleen for making this awesome pink heart earrings. It comes with a pink box to match the whole motif!




Lioele AC Trouble Hunter Toner and Face Lotion Trial Bottles
One of the Asian brands I like is Lioele! If you remember I like their Beyond the Solution BB Cream and when I ordered it it came with this trial bottles. I want you to get a chance to try it. Its super cute and tiny. AND PINK! Lol!

This is just a super thank you to the ladies that I met here. Thanks for reading, commenting and following! I hope you like my gifts! Send your stuff in!

If there's any question, please do email me at its.the.crazy.country.air[@]gmail[dot]com it's my first time doing a giveaway so if there are any comments/criticisms I welcome it!

My Swarovski Jewelries!

FINALLY! PICTURES!

Every girl loves sparkly stuff! I was just browsing for stuff all over multiply until I found a site that sells Washi Wallets and Sculpey in one store, both of which I wanted to get immediately. But I chanced upon one of the seller's albums selling swarovski bracelets, earrings and necklaces, and each piece was absolutely wonderful and shiny and made of stars! Right at that moment, my love for swarovski crystals began and within a matter of minutes, ballooned! I love the swarovski pieces so much that I would just do all possible ways to get my hands on some.

I was hesitant to order at first because the pieces displayed in the seller's album weren't really cheap. So just last week I began a swarovski quest to find some pieces I liked, something simple really. I Here in my city I've looked everywhere for sellers of these and so far all I discovered was that there are a lot of imitation stuff out there. I did my own research so I knew that Swarovski crystals can be faked and you wouldn't be able to tell except under a magnifying glass.

Because I couldn't stop wanting to get my hands on some so I finally PM'd the seller, Kathleen of Pumpkin Beads, who is the nicest seller I've ever come across. I told her if she was selling swarovski crystal jewelry, only something simpler, like a heart necklace in plain white crystal. She said that though she already sold out those kinds of pieces and weren't making them anymore, she could make me something in a jiffy! I decided that I wanted 2 earrings, a pink heart one and a star-and-moon combo plus 1 heart-shaped white crystal necklace. It just took like 2 days tops and she messaged me that she finished it all! Lo and behold these absolutely cute, superbly wonderful, breathtaking and quality creations:

AREN'T THEY FREAKING GORGEOUS OR WHAT?!?!

I paid her through BDO deposit, and within 2 days I got them delivered safe and sound. I was jumping up and down when our friendly mailman delivered these to me. I can't believe that I had new pieces to add to my collection:

This is the simple pink heart necklace from Korea this year:

And this is the pink drop necklace from Japan that my sister gave me 2 years ago:

SIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH. I love them so much. I am wearing the white heart necklace as we speak. Sorry its so dark here in my room--but look how it shines~)


I think I will order MORE!! Hahah!

Camera-Less (Rants)

Since my sister royally busted up my digicam I've just spent a good amount of time being camera-less and its so irritating! You know how fun it is to be with people you love and just take lots of pictures, I can't even do that now. And I LOVE taking pictures. I'm a snapshot kind of girl.

I have to take the camera out to the repair shop because there's no Casio service center in our city, you have to go mail the whole thing to another city and some annoying stuff like that. My camera is a Casio Exilim and I like it, it's standard but takes nice enough pictures. If I had money to burn, I would buy another one, but cameras in the market today cost a lot. If I had that kind of money, I would rather use it to buy a DSLR for myself! Hmpf!

I am scrambling to find alternative ways to put my pictures up. I was going to share some stuff that I just got. I just got a really nice liquid eyeliner from Crayon, a new polish from Revlon, a Maybelline mascara (didn't you hear? Maybelline is on sale!), some shoes I bought and a really cute top. Plus some of the stuff I got from Pumpkinbeads (you can see the stuff on the sidebar---Surprise! One of them is included in my giveaway! ^^) I also wanted to share some FOTDS! Now I CAN'T!

Having no camera is such a party pooper when doing my blog! I am a visual kind of person, each post MUST have a picture or else it feels very blah. JUST LOOK AT THIS POST! IT SUCH A HUGE HUGE BLAH!!!!

Finally, I wanted to post my giveaway already because I have all the prizes I needed! YIPEEEEE! The only raincloud on my parade is my being camera-less. I am unable to take pictures. Its so stupid. I used a cameraphone today and I think I got some really nice shots, the problem is the stupid phone uses a micro SD and we only have a memory card reader for SD and MMS Duo! ARRRGGHH!!

I hope my next post will have lots of pics! I am so frustrated and annoyed right now.

-AICHA

Mio Fights Cancer Purchase

This is just a short post to thank Frances for mailing me my purchase despite her incredibly busy schedule. I was so happy to receive it and I can't wait to get to use the product. A little part of me was nagging that I should have purchased more, because its not everyday that one can buy cosmetics that helps someone else. It is especially important because this is for Mio, fighting for his life battling cancer.

The moment my eyes set on Mio's face, I was extremely saddened... This little boy, at the beginning of his life... its just so terrible. Mio also reminded me of my little 8-year-old nephew, Hisashi:

Hisashi brings us joy and happiness, as I'm sure Mio does to his own parents and loved ones. So a huge happy claps and thank yous to everyone involved in Mio Fights Cancer fundraising campaign! I am sure that he will pull through with everyone's love and support!

I'm giddy at my purchase, the Skinfood Black Garlic Emulsion and I hope that what little money I gave helps in any way!



If you want to give your support, please do head off to http://www.beautyforaliving.com/ Frances just put some new stuff in!!

Shiseido: Majolica Majorca Powder + Tsubaki Damage Care Set

Thanks to my sister I was able to get my hands on a Majolica Majorca Pressed Pore Cover Powder. I was expecting the Majolica Majorca Lash Gorgeous Wing along with it and 2 blushes but my sis forgot to bring the bag where her makeup and the rest of my MMs are. It's crazy. She totally has no make up in her bag. We even have to go to the mall tomorrow and buy her a temporary make up kit just for her 2-week stay lol!

I am really really excited to try it out. The packaging simply screams at me to use it ASAP. It is sooooo pretty. Who can say no to a bejeweled compact?! I can't! But its hard to think of using it and thinking about it getting used up. Thank god for refills. LOL.

I'm sure all of you have heard of Majolica Majorca. I am one of the many avid fan of this line by Shiseido. Packaging pa lang, winner na. But there's more to make up than what meets the eye.

This MM Powder was given 4/5 stars in Make-Up Alley reviews.I am totally psyched to hear that "after applying this powder on primed skin (with or without foundation), pores are noticeably minimised, especially if you have comparatively larger ones on your cheeks" and that it is "one of the best at covering enlarged pores! Even better than Mac blot powder or any other powder I have used. It is transparent, very light and very finely milled"

I hope to provide my own thoughts one day. Drats, when will I hit pan on my BeautyCredit pressed powder?! I want to use it na! LOL!

~~~***~~~

Another stuff that my sister bought for me is the Shiseido Tsubaki Damage Care set which has shampoo, conditioner and treatment cream. I have to tell you guys that I've been wanting this so much since June because it was at that time that I discovered the awesome effects of Camilla oil inside this Tsubaki hair care product.


I was thinking of the getting the Red set because it seemed like a more popular choice. My sister told me that she was going to buy me tsubaki but the white one because this was the best shampoo that she tried! Now I remember how shiny her hair always is even if she has colored her hair completely light brown and back to black again.

I was sure that she would have like one of the people who have coarse, breakable hair (she also styles it with a hair dryer daily.) but her hair has remained shiny and healthy-looking. This is her secret! Tsubaki! It smells so good, leaves your hair soft and shiny and manageable all day!

Oh, and yeah, I saw Eki's post about Tsubaki, too. You can check it out HERE.

I am now looking forward to even more hauls from Japan! I can't wait to get more. I can't seem to get enough.

Maui's Thank You-Giveaway!

Maui of Makeup, Rants, Musings and More is having a hip giveaway for her followers.

PRIZES:
- Small clutch thing from the MAC Holiday Heirloom Collection (correct me if im wrong haha)
-MAC Individual Lashes
-Sample of MAC Pigment sample (hehe it spilled but still half full!) in Reflects Blue
-BB Cream Sample in Premium Gold Caviar
-BB Cream Sample: Super BB
-Rimmel Colour Rush Quad in Smokey Noir (swatched)
-Kirland Mineral Shimmer Powder
-Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Luminous Shadow in After midnight
- ELF Professional Smudge Eye Sponge
-ELF Regular and Waterproof Mascara Duo
-A jar sample of my HG Product! RCMA Invisible Setting Powder
-Urban Decay Sparkler pen in Dynamite (not pictured)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO!

Mina's Gifts!

This post has been sitting as a draft in my dashboard for way too long. This has been such a busy, busy week xD

I entered Mina's Giveaway and I could not be more psyched to hear that I won it!

Last Oct.2 I just got out of the shower and lo! My sis told me that I got a package waiting for me. I rushed to it and felt perfectly perky to see that it was Mina's package. I mailed her immediately to let her know it arrived safely and thanked her.

Mineral Make Up
30 Mineral Make Up Samples! YAY! xD
2 Mineral Make Up Blushes in pots. I love the color. I finally have a blush! Hahah!

Trial Pack
Dr. Jart UV Protective Shining Base SPF 50++
Feverfet BB Crema SPF 30++ Whitening
Skin Food Agave Cactus Toner
Skin Food Agave Face Cream
iWhite Skin Whitening Vita Aqya
iWhite Skin Whitening Vita Facial Cream SPF 15
iWhite Ice Wine Rose Petal Mask
iWhite Whitening Pack Peel-off
Vaseline Healthy White Lotion
Body Recipe Skin Lightening Hand and Body
Cyleina Grapeseed Soap

And then she added a little note that really made me happy! Its always a really awesome touch that little love notes get added to the package, no? It makes me feel all warm inside.

THANK YOU! :3

This makes me want to speed up my own giveaway, too! Last weekend I just bought some goodies and I AM SO EXCITED. I am hope you'll all like it. The only sad thing is my sister finally admitted that she broke my digital camera. Grrr. Well, nothing can be done anymore. I'll just find a way to get some decent picture of my giveaway prizes and start the ball rolling next week.

Hope you'll be having an awesome day, everyone!

Who's Gorgeous? I'm Gorgeous! :D

GORGEOUS BLOGGER AWARD

By Adin of Spoiled Rotten

List 6 Interesting Facts About You~

1. I am a very non-confrontational person. Most people know that I rather not get into any kind of fights. Sometimes this causes me to question my own strength, because it seems like I can't fight for myself. But recently I stopped thinking that I am a weakling. I think that my strength is my resiliency, my ability to be civil and polite, plus my love for diplomacy: I believe in talking it out rather than hurling hurtful words and clashing of fists.

2. Extremely friendly. Too friendly. Even if you're an acquaintance I don't keep a wall up. I welcome people very warmly. Sometimes my friends think I'm gullible. My boyfriend has voiced his concern about me being too trusting. Whereas I am just puzzled why they would rather view people negatively. There's already too much distrust in the world! Being unfriendly and aloof... where does that get you? Nowhere.

3. I don't eat vegetables. They taste terrible.

4. I have the weirdest dreams! They are just so vivid that when my dreams are funny, I totally laugh out loud, and when they're depressing and scary, I cry upon waking up. An example of my dream: I ate the ashes of my mother (she's alive, but in my dreams she was dead) and I can totally taste that the ashes were chocolate powder! I also dreamed of dead babies floating in a green river and me in the center of the river, swimming, crying, trying to get out. I remember my dreams a lot, too.

5. I can't buy anything more than P1,000 for myself but I can easily shell out more than P5,000 when it comes to my loved ones! Heheh I don't know why it's like that. I wanted to go for a little shopping spree at the mall with the P3,000 I saved up, but I kind of procrastinated because I felt blah. I just kept it and thought that I would use it to buy my family and friends something for every birthday celebration.

6. I am the corniest joker alive. And I laugh at the corniest jokes too! I swear! Mababaw lang kaligayahan ko! Hahahah! Sample...

Question: Paano mo ipapasok ang Elephant sa refrigerator in 3 steps?
.......
Answer: Open mo ang ref, ipasok ang Elephant, i-close ang ref.


Question: Eh paano mo ipapasok ang Giraffe in 4 steps?
.......
Answer: Open mo ang ref, kunin ang Elephant, ipasok ang Giraffe, i-close ang ref.

Question: Tinawag ni haring Leon ang lahat ng mga hayop sa mundo. Sino ang hindi nakapunta?
.......
Answer: Si Giraffe (nasa ref pa sya... LOLOLOLOL!!!!! *sakit tiyan*)

Question: Nasa isa kang malawak na river, kailangan mo ng makapunta sa kabilang dulo pero walang bridge at duon ang habitat ng mga crocodiles. Paano mo ito gagawin?
Answer: Lalanguyin.
Question: Pero kakainin ka ng mga crocodiles?
Answer: Wala sila sa river... Nasa kina Leon.

Hahahahah! Super funny!!

Thank you so much Adin!!! You're such a sweet girl. I got another award, and that's for another post! :) I am tagging....

Krissy of Krissified
Jing of Girl With Glasses
Thia of On BeautyStuff and Whatelses
Emily of Pink Monkey

Gracie of Gracified Shopaholic
Rain of Rhaindropz and Makeups
Nina of Nina's Obsessions

Giving Back

AICHA GIVES AWAY

If somebody told me three months upon starting this blog that I would have 50 readers I would have replied "FAT CHANCE!"

This blog is a product of my bored free time, rants, beauty stuff, and general nonsense so it's such a wonder why anyone would take the time to click on the follower's button. But thank you! It makes me feel so... fantastic. Like as if my posts really matter somewhat! LOL! Kidding.

So it's time for me to give back to the AWESOME PEOPLE list with a little GIVEAWAY because we all love giveaways! I personally love joining in all the fun, crazy, awesome giveaways from people that I follow. Mine will be just small, nothing too grand. I have one idea for the prizes, as I have a contact from Korea to buy me some Beauty Credit stuff.

I don't know if you've heard of Beauty Credit before, but you can check out some of the items at http://www.beautycredit.co.kr

I have the pressed powder in natural beige which I absolutely love!

Saving up for it! I want to buy some lippies, gloss and nail polishes for my giveaway!

In other news,

My sister is coming back from Japan and I kind of asked her to buy me some make-up to try like Shiseido's Majolica Majorca and Lioele. Hope she can find it (sis is not very well versed in make up) I'll save some of those loots to add to my giveaway? Or maybe for another giveaway!

Ooooo, I'm becoming addicted to giving away stuff! OOOO!

Well that's all for now folks, I am really excited to pull this through! I will pull through, I'm totally sure! Things are looking up and hopefully everything will be alright from now on.

=========================

DONATE TO ONDOY VICTIMS

We've been packing our stuff since last night to gather things that might be of use to people who are victims of Typhoon Ondoy in Luzon. We're far off from here in Mindanao, but we feel the crisis and the desperation of our fellow country men. We feel truly helpless as we are far off, we can't do much but gape and feel our hearts break for the men, women, and children who lost so so so much in this calamity.

We're donating clothes and blanket (no. 1 our list), and my dad is thinking of buying as much foldable umbrellas as well (harsh rain still is prevalent, as well as the heat of the scorching sun), some of our shoes, jackets, light reusable bags (my little nieces suggestions, since they see people not having bags to put whatever's left of their possessions)

My friends, classmates have text brigaded me to chip in 100 pesos each so we can donate them.

These things we do are so little in the face of such gravity of destruction and loss...

Please offer your prayers.
You can also help out via donations to the Red Cross/Red Crescent.

Bad News, Good News

GOOD NEWS FIRST. Well because the bad news is totally terrible like you wouldn't believe.

(P.S. Sorry for the webcam pics, my sis is hogging my digicam)

So I bought stuff over the past weekend, and because of that I've realized that I am not a make-up person. I am a 95% skincare person as miniscule 5% goes into make up and fragrances. I love taking care of my skin. It's not the best in the world but I'm satisfied with it (as long as I wax the crap out of unwanted hair hehe!) I bought some stuff to help me with some of my problem areas, and hopefully it will all get better in time (...song line) especially some of my dark areas like my elbows and knees, plus my oily skin which is the bane of my existence.

So here are the loots. Incredibly, all of them I bought on different places but all are on SALE!

If you can remember in this post, this was an online buy! I paid it via GCash, very smooth transaction with this seller in Multiply. Got it in less than 48 hours.

I am currently using both Mistine White Spa Lotion and Mistine Skin-Perfecting Deodorant as my daily lotion and deo because it is so smooth and easily absorbed into the skin. It's not greasy because the lotion is pretty light and almost watery. Definitely less thick than Nivea Fresh Lotion which I was using before. I like it.

The only thing bad about Mistine is the smell. There are many who praise Mistine for its long-lasting floral smell, and I can testify to that, but man, I hate the smell! I hate its cloyingness and it almost makes me dizzy. Also, don't count on it whitening you. Five days later I am still the same bronze baby which I like. But I can vouch for its moisturizing aspect. It is doubleplusgood. I try the DRY SKIN TEST which you scratch a line on your skin and see if you create a chalky patch. Before I have this a lot, especially on my legs and on my forearms. But no chalky line here no more!


I've been eyeing Biore Shine Free Moisturizer every time I go to HB1 Store. Not really that much into it because I had Skinfood Mandarin and Parsley Emulsion which is a good enough moisturizer for me at night (I don't use moisturizer during the day, I oil enough as is). At P160.00 it was cheap, like Clean & Clear moisturizers. But I saw it totally marked down by 50% and so I happily buy it at P80.00! I KNOW! ZOMG!

Tried it for 3 nights now and I can safely say that Biore is no-nonsense when they say this is for OILY PEOPLE. I apply it at night after I wash my face and it is so light that it immediately sinks into my skin. First thing I wake up in the morning my face is not oily and it is sooooooooo soft to the touch. Definitely will hoard all the remaining in the HB1 Store! Muahaha!


Kojic Acid soap! Because I think I'm the only one in La Pinas who haven't joined in the Kojic Acid / Obagi bandwagon yet.

I was at Watson's and I was going to get Dove fresh soap, but I saw this and thought I might as well try it. I hope it will do wonders for my uneven elbow color and my dark knees (totally dyahe), because Thiamere has reviewed it and she found out that it does deliver when it comes to lightening.

It's perpetually on sale at P50.00 so why the heck not? xD



I don't have a signature fragrance yet, like Frances' "Lanvin's Eclat d'Arpege" I don't have a specific scent or brand I like, because all I really want is something fruity and that lasts a long time on my skin that's all... Maybe that's why I'm stuck with Johnson&Johnson's citrus scent since highschool lol!

Got the Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush in Strawberry Fizz. Retails for P880.00 at botiques but I got it at a BFF-DISCOUNT for P500.00 Yay! I love love love love the whole thing because the colors are magic. I like it because it's red at the top, blending lightly in the middle to a lighter shade and totally transparent at the bottom.

I love strawberry and I sprayed it on recently and I got a seriously deranged comment:

Cousin: *comes into my room* Hi Aicha! Let me borrow---- GOSH WHAT IS THAT? I SMELL STRAWBERRY CONDOMS!

OMGWTFLOLBBQ! I totally laughed my ass off. First, she knows strawberry condoms (condoms are a must, people! Though we always only use plain anyway. Yeah, generic no? Will not try flavored!) Second, OMG! This is victoria's secret you goose, it is not supposed to smell anything other that VS!

So anyway... ON TO THE BAD NEWS...

... I'VE OFFICIALLY BEEN SCAMMED.

:(

Help.