Product: Jill Stuart Mix Blush vs. Sivanna Colors Blush

Today I went to the mall and somehow I managed to go to this little boutique and something caught my eye. I saw on a stand this very familiar blush-on!

The brand of the blush is SIVANNA COLORS. It is a very dainty blush with etched shells design. It looks very nice, shiny and all too reminiscent of a certain expensive packaging, except for the rather plain brand text. Can you guess what the packaging looks like????

 

YEP!
It looks like a Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compact packaging!

Though without the beautiful brush chained to it. This blush is one of the high-end and holy grail blushes of the many beauty gurus that I look up to, so I couldn't help but want it myself. 

The only thing that prevents me from buying Jill Stuart cosmetics is because of is $$$$$$ price! This one is so pricey for a single item. It is about $48-$52 depending on where you buy it. Though a lot of girls just buy it for the princessy packaging which is so delightful, but some love its very girly though sheer application.

The Sivanna Colors one looks like its mousy counterpart, but you can tell that this is a knock-off of the Jill Stuart brand. Even the mix blush with the different shades of pink, peach and corals are reminiscent of one of the type of the JS Mix blush.

I bought it because I thought it was really funny, though I wouldn't ever think of using this for fear of what this blush powder may contain!!!

Sivanna Colors Blush

Image credit from PinkHeartedPrincess.

Though the JS Mix Blush compact is in my wishlist, I'm not that desperate to use a knock off of this! I want the real one.

I can't imagine using the SIVANNA COLORS one. We don't know what's in that and where it is made from. I wish the brand company didn't have to steal the design of the JS one. They should have innovated their own, maybe it can even catapult in the industry. Imitation is never good in business, it keeps you eating dust.

There doesn't seem to be news of Fake Jill Stuart, but I'm not surprised why there's Knock offs of this from other less know brands. JS is a very popular name, and the products is well loved by many.

DIY Skincare: Homemade Glutinous Rice Powder Mask vs Sheet Masks

A lot of girls are very much into keeping their skin healthy by using face masks. Whether it's a leave-on mask, a rinse-off kind or opting for the no-fuss sheet mask. It's also a great way to feel like you're being responsible about your skin, but it's not so rigorous since you get to do it 2-3 times a week. Great for the lazy bones!

I always feel relaxed when I have it on because it means I get a lot of reading done! But I got to thinking that despite the nutrients within a mask, we can read in the ingredients (for some brands that carry English translation) there is a lot of extra stuff like chemicals and artificial ingredients that are inside a sheet mask.

Image credit from Cosmetic-candy.com

Somehow it's kind of comforting that we can't read the ingredients list of some brands (Cant read Korean/Thai!) so we only see a bright fruit featured at the cover so makes us think it's from 100% fruit nutrient or concentrate, but I'm sure that somehow there's something inside it but at the same time leaves us in the dark! Good for you if you can read CHINESE:

Image credit from DiaryofAProductJunkie

ETUDE HOUSE SHEET MASK: ME AND MY MASKING HABITS


I am an avid fan of face masks. I've tried quite a few from different big brands like The Face Shop, Etude House, Missha, FaceQ and My Beauty Diary. I use it once or twice a week if I have some masks stocked inside my compartment.
 
Here I am with my mask anyway, because I needed a boost to hydrate my skin which has been dulling so terribly due to me always being under the sun, staring for 8 hours infront of the PC and not having enough fluids everyday!

  

 

But I got to thinking that I should really stop depending on commercial masks. I googled some DIY face mask but I always find the ingredients kind of expensive (hello, strawberries are not in season all the time, lemons are terrible to be wasted and it costs pretty high these days, and we don't have pure/raw honey sitting prettily in our kitchen cupboard, okay?)


GOING FACE MASK D-I-Y (Do It Yourself)!

So what I did was first raid the pantry and saw a good deal of GLUTINOUS RICE POWDER left over from New Years! It wasn't expired yet so I was wondering if I could do something with it! :D

Image credit here.

I tried it out myself! This is a DIY Mask that was so basic and so elementary that it doesn't make sense why I don't make it into a weekly skin treat!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RICE FLOUR AND OTHER RICE PROPERTIES:

* Rice Flour is really good for blemishes, wrinkles and pigmentation. It is also known for its soothing and softening properties. (source)

* Its emollient and exfoliating properties keep skin cells healthy, while its Ceramide increases collagen production to make skin more supple and free of wrinkles. (source)

* You don't have to buy in to SK-II or other high end skincare brand which are expensive because it has Pitera properties. Rice naturally has Pitera. And according to SK-II's About Page, Pitera is "...derived from a unique yeast's fermentation, Pitera is a blend of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and organic acids that work together to allow the skin's natural surface rejuvenation process to function at its prime, enhancing the renewal of the skin's outer layer.  Continued usage of Pitera leads to clearer looking, smoother skin."

So those are the reasons why I am definitely making my little Glutinous Rice Powder mask a weekly habit! It seems that it helps with my oily face somehow. I chose Glutinous powder because it was readily available, but not only that because it sticks on the face better than an ordinary rice powder. Glutinous is more sticky, so it tends to be like that.

Below is my findings:

	SHEET MASK	RICE MASK
Moisture	Very Moisturizing; Highly due to the lotion-like serum. Light feeling, watery.	Moisturizing but the rice powder is mixed with water so it feels thicker but it provides moisture continuously.
Fragrance	Has fruity scent	Has earthy, rice scent that is pleasant
Feel of the Mask	Very cool on the face, breathable.	It has some micro-scrubs but feels so good. Breathable.
Ease of Application	Easy to apply, though some masks may be drippy. The masks, even if they are soaked, the fabric remained strong.	Hard to apply since you will use all your hands and fingers. Make sure that your hands are EXTRA clean.
Removal of Mask	No problem removing; especially when the masks really dry on the face.	Easy to remove with washing it off with water. Very little trouble since it dissolves the second water touches it.

The RICE MASK gave me clean, fresh and clear looking skin!

I had blushing cheeks too, maybe from the powder which felt like micro scrubs.

I feel REVITALIZED! Ohyeaaa! XD



I am really more into organic skincare rather than commercial and chemical-dependent products that tend to be on the pricier side. But it's more than just a matter of having money to pay for it, but it boils down the things I want and don't want to put on my skin. I think I am going to be more adventurous in this new process of discovery!


Thank you so much for reading!
Stay healthy and safe~

Life: Valentines Day

Valentines is almost done but I wanted to greet all of you a very happy Valentines Day. I know people call it a fake holiday, which it is, but that's why it's called a holiday because it's a means for us to celebrate. If you feel the essence of Valentines day from the deepest recess of your heart, don't worry, it gives us a chance to a pause our monotonous life and a day to give thanks to the people who make living this fleeting life much more meaningful.

"We enter the world alone and we leave it alone. And everything that happens in between, we owe it to our self to find a little company. We need help. We need support. Otherwise we’re in it by our self. Strangers, cut off from each other and we forget just how connect we all are. So instead we choose love. We choose life and for a moment we feel just a little bit less alone." 

I got my favorite Fluffy Mamon (Fluffy Small Cake) for valentines

EDIT:  When I think about it, it's the presence of loved ones that make the day worth celebrating. I wouldn't trade them with all the Fluffy Mamon in the world.

Hope the best for you and for your loved ones! Stay healthy :D

Thanks for reading~

Life: February Brings About A Desire For Change

The start of the new year has given me so much and taken away quite a lot. This is in reference to my self and things around me affected by the changes that has made me scramble, rethink and rearrange my life accordingly!

A life update for those who care:

* I have completed building my own room! Yes! After living for so long sharing room and board with some family members in one bedroom, their messes vs. my sense for organization, some of my sisters using my products and constant running out of products I like, etcetera!

* I am returning back to my video and photography roots.

* Getting promoted at work ;)

* Pursuing my graphic art/drawing with digital drawings (I only used to do traditional, sketches and colored pencils and all that stuff)

* Loving myself despite my imperfections but learning how to highlight what I have!

<3 <3 <3

But that doesn't mean I will stop trying to better myself and find things to discover as I go along. I am very much into skincare still, and I'm not done practicing makeup yet hahahah! I'm not very good at it even until now. I can't practice as much because I don't get a lot of avenues/events where I am asked to be extra girly.

Below is today's makeup I did, when I went out to treat my family out to ice cream.

It's still not very good, huh?
I can't do nor wear dramatic eye makeup at all. I was doing the best I can D:


On a happier note: Here's us on my PROJECT 365 :) Taken today it's DAY 43, my family and Mike (le Boyfrénd) and also my close friend, Dan not in picture because he's the one who took this nifty picture of us:

A lot of new things are in store! From here on out I am not just going to limit myself on beauty products, but more on organic skin care and DIY, graphic design and life, love, books and rocking it out as a career girl and all the good things in between.

This chapter in my life makes me feel like nothing is missing. I am at a very happy place right now!
I hope you stay tuned!