Every time I go to Watsons, I always end up buying something that's not part of my actual list--and it's usually makeup.  Also, I usually pick up stuff from local brands, and in fairness madaming good quality.  This time I got three things:  Kokuryu Summer Cake in Orange Blush (P110.00 for a 25g pan), Nichido BB Cream Every Day Wear in BB 02 Skin (P238.00 for a 20 ml tube), and Ever Bilena Advance Mascara Duo (P200.00).

I've tried both the Summer Cake and BB Cream, and OK naman sila.  By OK, I mean hindi sila fail, pero hindi din sila extraordinary.  I have combination skin, and somehow the BB Cream was a bit oily for me.  Actually mas gusto ko yung Summer Cake, di ko lang ma-take ang amoy. But for the price, super sulit na din.  I have yet to try the mascara.

Aside from Watsons another store that I always make sure to visit is Daiso (and its sister store Japan Home Center), kasi naman sobrang cute ng mga items nila.  Cute pero useful.  More importantly, mura!  Everything is just either P66.00 or P88.00, saan ka pa.  So here I bought three things din:  Eyebrow Pencil in Natural Brown (with spin pencil lead on one end and a spoolie on the other), Cola de Mascara in Black, and Ellefar Princess Powder Foundation (6.5g compact), all at P88.00 each.

I've tried the powder foundation and the mascara, and OMG I love them!  Surprisingly, the powder was light yet had great coverage, and not oily or heavy for my skin.  'Yung mascara was a great find--it really highlighted and extended my lashes, and never smudged or irritated my eyes.  Cheap but good!  I live for finds like these.
Next time I go to Daiso, I'm going to get their other makeup items.  Now na!

I saw a lot of posts on Instagram about this new line of makeup called Happy Skin, part-owned and endorsed by pro model Rissa Mananquil.  They had a launch party recently, and right after I started seeing blog posts and features, particularly on Jenni Epperson's blog (www.jenniepperson.com).  Was completely taken by the products' suuuper-cute packaging,  all sweet and girly.  So, what's a girl gotta do?  I went right ahead to the neares Plains and Prints store (that's where they sell it) and got myself their bestsellers, so far:

The girl at the counter, who was extremely nice and helpful, told me that their most popular product is the Second Skin Creme (P1199.00), which I imagine is like a better BB cream, followed by the Shut Up and Kiss Me moisturizing lippie (P499.00).  I relented and got the Eye Need a Miracle concealer (P699.00) just so I can have the free pouch (not pictured) which is for purchases of at least P2000.00.  Then I was handed everything in a cute printed cardboard bag with a pink satin ribbon handle.  For a local brand and something that hasn't proven itself yet, medyo mahal ha!  Then again, it's probably meant for a particular target market. 
But I thought the packaging looked familiar, and when I checked online, people were saying that it's a copy of American brand BeneFit Cosmetics.  Patingin nga if gaya-gaya, and this is one of the photos I saw:

photo from www.beautezine.com

Hmmm, medyo pareho nga.  Fun, funky, witty, colorful.  Mismo.  Oh well, I hope it works for the brand, also considering it is being hyped as made with ingredients 'that will make your skin happy', such as hyaluronic acid (you know I like 'em).
Sige, let's try this.  At the store, the silicone-free foundie and the concealer seemed to blend well into my skin and felt fab, but let's seeeeee.  Will update after I've used everything for at least a week.
Sana happy ka nga! :D

I've been watching this girl on YouTube for some time now, and I really like that she uses and recommends local makeup products.

photo from saytiocoartillero.blogspot.com

In the beginning, she would only use 'very' local makeup--such sa SanSan and Ever Bilena--but now she's branched out into imported brands .  Pero affordable pa din, and I think that's what makes her different from the rest.  I don't think it's in her lifestyle, preference, or budget to buy and use sushal makeup brands, and that, I think is what keeps her real.  However, I think she gets sponsored more these days (shows how popular she's been getting) so she gets more and more name-brand stuff.  She knows her technique and admits it if she's not so used to a particular style (in one of her earlier vids, she talked about how it took her some time to learn how to do her kilay).  She's not ashamed to show her unmade-up face even outdoors, and so you'll really get to see how she made the best of what she already has.  More than that, she vlogs like she's just talking to a friend, and keeps the same level of energy (which is not too much, not too little, just normal) even if she's alone, and in a public place.  Now that's not so easy to do.
These days her vids are a combination of makeup tutorials, documentation of her makeup classes or sessions with clients, and her everyday life--with her boyfriend Mark, at the mall (particularly SM Manila!), buying clothes, and all other normal girl stuff.  Some girls actually don't like these non-makeup vids, and in fact Say has her fair share of haters (who give her a hard time about her grammar, her way of speaking, how she responds to criticism, etc.), but I guess it's because more people are viewing her YT channel more than ever.
This is the way I see it.  If I want to know about the newest and most chica makeup brands, I'll go watch Michelle Phan and other makeup gurus who really know and live by them.  But if I want to keep it real and down home, and feeling like chatting with a girlfriend, I'll tune in to Say Artillero's channel.
Check it out, its http://www.youtube.com/user/saytiocoartillero .  Have fun! :-)

Being at home during the Holy Week (well, since Thursday) made me just restless and so had to get out at about--even if it's just to the nearest Walter Mart.

I actually looove Walter Mart, I think everything there is cheaper than in other malls, and somehow everything's less rigid and a lot friendlier (read: compared to SM malls).  So when I checked out the new Walter Mart around 5-10 minutes away from my house, I was pleasantly surprised to see a store I haven't seen before:  UNO Factory Outlet.  It's got all sorts of stuff, kind of like a one-stop shop actually, with random items on sale:

I went around and also saw clothes for both men and women, as well as house stuff:

But what got me all excited was the makeup counter, which had makeup brands I'd never seen before and at prices I'd never seen before, either:
Sure, these are all cheap makeup, not expected to last all that long, but who cares? I had a blast choosing makeup that looked like fun, and this is what I got:

Prices are as follows (clockwise):
Qianyu natural eye shadow palette - Php 44.50
XXL Sofe Lip & Eye liner pencil (with built-in sharpener) - Php 9.50 each (got them in black and brown)
Daiyasi 3D Shine & Care lipgloss - Php 29.50
Jialiqi Unlimited Enlarge Clear Smooth liquid eyeliner - Php 29.50
Ling Mei liquid/pen eyeliner (in leopard-print packaging!) - Php 34.50
Aron lipstick magic - Php 29.50
For a grand total of Php 186.50!  I can't even remember buying a piece of makeup at that low a price!  But seeing if they will actually work is another story.  Will blog about that soon.

I'll probably go back to UNO to check out their other items next weekend.  Till then!

This store is so huge that I often feel confused whenever I come over--the shelf and island displays are, I think, actually meant to make buyers pick up items easily as they walk through the place.

This time, however, I gave in to the frantic feeling when I saw the cutest makeup by the store brand, love & beauty.

The pink floral design of the Natural Eye Palette made it look a bit different from Naked's popular palette, which has the same layout and size.  I've yet so check out, though, if the shadows are pigmented enough.  The palette is priced at Php385.

The blush/bronzer duo is just the right thing for summer!  I don't really use bronzer, but I guess it's high time!  Got it at Php225.

Both right on budget, at are easy updates for the season!  Loved my haul so much that I might just make another trip to a Forever 21 branch and get some new sunnies.

Getting ready for the summer is quite fun.  Will be posting some of my summer reads soon.