Lullabies and Lippies

Sure, applying beauty products hardly feels like a chore but when pressed for time, shortcuts are the way to go. Whether you’re jumping from one event to another or just simply cannot be bothered, these beauty hacks are guaranteed to help you look great and save you time, money, and hassle.



1. Mattify any lipstick you have
Matte lips are sophisticated and timeless. Want to rock this look but don't exactly have a matte lipstick? Here’s how: Take your lipstick of choice and apply as you normally would. While waiting for it to set, load up your powder brush with some loose powder. Next, place a sheet of tissue over your lips, and lastly, dab the brush over the tissue. Amazing right? The powder actually absorbs the moisture from the lipstick and automatically turns it matte. I find this hack works best with bright and bold lip colors, making lipstick smudge-proof and ultra longwearing.



2. Re-activate mascara before re-applying
One beauty product I find a bit tricky to re-touch is mascara. If you've got after work plans and want to amp up your mascara ridden lashes, try applying a thin layer of petroleum jelly on to your fingers and pressing it down gently on your lashes. This re-activates the mascara you already have on, smoothening out your lashes and prevents further clumping once you re-apply mascara.


3. Use oil blotters before re-touching
With the humid Manila weather, keeping our faces sweat and oil free can be quite a challenge.  To keep your face looking fresh all throughout the day, keep a pack of oil blotting sheets in your purse and be sure blot before re-touching your makeup (skipping this step only results to cake-y make-up). So oil-blotting sheets are your best bet when it comes to keeping sweat and oil at bay. Don’t have this neat beauty accessory at hand? Paper napkins work just as well.

Got any more beauty hacks in mind? I'd love to hear all about them in the comments down below!

Enjoy the rest of the holidays, guys! Have a Happy New Year celebration! :)

❤,
N

Disclaimer: This is a re-post. My original post is published on Zalora PH Community. All images used in this entry are from the original. (View post here)

The holidays are officially in full-swing! Whether it's a gathering with friends or family, one thing’s for sure: photos will be taken – and lots of it.

I've been keeping a little secret - and I'm so excited to FINALLY be able to share it with you. Last Thursday, my first ever article as an official Zalora Community PH Contributor went live. :) Basically, it's the online magazine of Zalora PH for which I will regularly be writing articles (Saying it out loud still sounds crazy!!) Zalora Community PH features original and exclusive content on fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment from their online community. The way I see it - it's girls offering tips and sharing their experiences with other girls; girls helping one another. And that's always a good thing. :)



In the article, I talked about three (3) easy ways to update your makeup look from summer to fall. My philosophy on makeup is to wear whatever you want, whenever you want; no rules. Makeup should be fun, so you shouldn't feel compelled to stick strictly to the rules. Once in a while though, it is fun to follow trends. :) Get fall-ready with me here!

I can't wait to share my next articles with you, and of course, I'll still be doing separate posts here. :)

This whole thing still feels so surreal. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I hope you'll join me in this new adventure! :)



Your Zalora Community PH Contributor,
N ❤  

In honor of National Lipstick Day today, I think it's only proper that I do a post on my favorite lipstick. Am I right or right? :)

These days, my make-up routine is very basic. I literally do the same thing day after day after day after week after week after week. I've been focusing more on obsessed with skincare!

You know how they say it's always nice to switch things up to keep things interesting? The same could be said for one's skincare regimen! I think we all need to update our skincare regimen from time to time to keep it from plateauing and to make sure we adapt to our skin's changing needs.

Over the years, I've tried several skincare systems/products from Clinique to Bobbi Brown to Shu Uemura to Shiseido. I mean, they did work, for a while, but not as good as I had hoped for them to. And I wanted so so so bad for them to work their magic on me because they did cost a lot of money. The skincare angels must have heard my plea because I think I have finally found the skincare line for me - V&M Naturals. Finally, a skincare line that: a.) uses only the most natural ingredients (no harsh chemicals here, only the good stuff!), b.) is a local brand (hooraaayyy, Pinoy Pride!), and c.) ACTUALLY WORKS FOR ME!


I was introduced to this brand late last year by my friend Andi who happens to be a reseller of V&M Naturals products. At first, I was skeptical because how could products that use ZERO chemicals fix my skin issues? So I tried out their products, a few at a time, slowly. And now, I'm a believer!

So, after an almost five-month blogging hiatus, I'm super duper excited to share with you some of my fave products from V&M:

1. Bare It All Body Cream (non-minty version)
Living in the Philippines where it's always so hot and humid, I think I've grown allergic to even just the sound of body creams. Typically, body creams are thick, sticky, goopy, and they make you feel greasy all over, right? Not this one! I put this on right after taking a shower and it never feels sticky. Never. It sinks into your skin immediately and doesn't leave a greasy film on. It leaves your skin feeling super nice and moisturized and yummy-smelling too! They also sell a minty version which I hear gives a cooling sensation too when applied.


2. CPC+G Whitening Oil
CPC+G stands for Clair Blanche - Papain - Calamansi plus Glutathione! Never been a fan of whitening products for my body, but sometimes I will add in a couple of drops of this stuff with my Bare It All Body Cream to help fade any scars or discolorations on my arms or legs. I use this mainly to spot treat any dark spots/acne scars on my face. Because it's a mixture of natural oils, happy to report that it hasn't irritated my skin in any way. shape or form. I know typical whitening creams/serums in the market will often leave your face red and inflamed - nope, nope! None of that with this one. :)


3. Happy Pores Cucumber Toner
For many years, I've used the toner from the Clinique 3-Step Skincare System. I thought that was okay, but I would sometimes notice subtle stinging after application. With the Happy Pores toner, I never got that stinging sensation and my face never felt too dry or tight after either. Love using this after washing my face and before putting on any other skincare product. This is good to get rid of any dead skin cells, to make sure whatever skincare product you put on after is well-absorbed by your skin. Smells super yummy too! If you're a fan of Bath & Body Works Cucumber Melon, you're going to love this! :)


4. Total Serum Potion in Gold Snail
On their website, it says this stuff contains amino acids of snails to repair skin and kill bacteria. Now, I don't know the specifics of that, but I'll tell you one thing - it did a good job of healing my acne scars in less than two weeks' time. Doesn't feel sticky at all, either. Oh, and as natural and as close to the ground this gets, the serum does not contain snail body parts, hehe! :)


5. Emu Oil
Emu Oil is all the rage these days because it's said to be the natural oil closest to human skin components, thus its ability to heal almost any skin issue. The oil is on the thicker side, so I normally use just half a pump of this on my face to moisturize at night. You'd think that this would break you out, but half a pump every night before bed actually helped clear up my acne and heal the scars. Sometimes, I'll spike my Bare It All Body Cream with a few pumps of this oil to give my skin an extra boost of moisture, especially when it's just waaay to hot and dry out! I've also heard that this does wonders at healing even open wounds/burn wounds and fading scars. I have yet to try that for myself, but I've seen pictures online and the results are outstanding!


6. Keep Safe Facial Sunscreen SPF35
I've found most facial sunscreens to be too thick, too greasy, and they have all broken me out at some point. The first time I applied this, I thought wow, this is prooobably going to break me out since consistency was on the thicker side. Surprisingly though, it sunk into my skin pretty quickly and didn't leave my face looking like a greaseball. No breakouts either. The only gripe I have with this is the packaging - I wish it came in a squeeze tube instead of a tub. With products for the face, I'm a bit more of a germophobe than usual - and I don't really like the idea of sticking my finger in just to get some product out.


7. Wrinkle Revenge Eye Cream
I've used several eye creams - mostly from Bobbi Brown and from Kiehl's and none of them felt as good and hydrating as this one! I apply this before bed and by morning, my eyes look and feel brighter and more refreshed. This is also a nice base for your undereye concealer as it keeps it from creasing or getting patchy throughout the day. :)


The absolute best part is that these products use only the frrreshest, most natural ingredients, so you can be sure that these will be good for you in the long run - no worries about whatsoever side effects brought about by chemicals! :) Overall, really, really happy with my new skincare regimen - I think this is finally the one I'll be sticking with for years to come. :)

Oh, and in case you haven't picked up on it yet, I'm obsessed with the entire brand! So obsessed that their official website is bookmarked on my desktop, laptop, and phone! Have also been trying out (& falling in love) with their suuuuper yummy, handmade soaps. Any of their products tickle your fancy? Do share! :)

❤,
N

Back when I was still in corporate, there were times wherein my teammates and I had to go straight to an event after work. I worked in the telco industry and as you would expect, things usually are very hectic, leaving me with very little time to re-touch my make-up before heading out. So, if you've ever found yourself in the same situation, I've got you covered! I'm sharing with you 5 EASY steps on how to re-touch, refresh, and amp up your make-up. :)

1. Blot your face and do a light dusting of powder
After an 8-hour workday, your foundation is likely to have worn off already, especially in areas such as your T-zone. Blot your face with an oil control sheet to get rid of any excess oil. Paper towels work, too. After blotting your face, do a light dusting of your face powder, preferably one with some coverage. Blotting your face before going in with foundation will prevent your make-up from looking cakey. I also prefer to use a brush over a sponge whenever re-applying powder foundation. Brushes make for easy, even distribution of product. With sponges, if you're not careful, you can patch on a little too much foundation in one area of your face. And that's the last thing you want on a face that's had make-up on for the past 8 hours!

I love my Shu Uemura Glow Enhancing Powder Foundation, especially for touch-ups! Provides just the right amount of coverage, never looks cakey, looks juuust peeerfect!

2. Re-touch your brows
Day to day, I just lightly fill in my brows with either a brow powder or a pencil. If I'm going out at night, I'll darken them up just a liiiittle bit to give more definition. Re-defining your brows are always a good idea, especially if there are going to be pictures taken during the event!

3. Perk up them lashes!
It's been a long day. Show your lashes some love! Not a fan of piling on more mascara, so I recommend just re-curling your lashes to open up your eyes. Just do a few, gentle squeezes - nothing too harsh! Curling your lashes too hard, especially if they already have mascara on, will make them ping straight up in a very strange, unnatural way. So, gentle squeezes at the bottom, middle, and tip of your lashes is the way to go.

If you want your lashes to really stand out, tightline your upper waterline with a waterproof, black liner. This will make your lashes look that much thicker! (This is kind of cheating, since it's technically an extra step, but hey, who's counting?!) Love the NARS Larger Than Life eyeliner in Via Veneto for this! (Guys, this is the only liner which does not smudge on me, and I have really oily lids, so trust me on this!!!)

4. Contour
A MUST if you're going to any event with picture-taking. A more defined face makes you look more awake and just better, in the most subtle way! Like, when you notice a friend and think they got their eyebrows or hair or nose done, but they haven't, and you think, "What in the world???" That's contouring.

No need to go overboard here! With a light hand, I just go over the hollows of my cheeks, around my temples, jawline, and down the sides of my nose. My fave contour powder, by far, is NYX blush in Taupe. My fave brush to use for contouring is the #32 angled blush brush by Marrionaud.

5. Go bold on the lips!
The quickest, easiest way to take your make-up from day to night is with a bold lip. Makes you look all glammed-up, and takes no time at all! Creating a decent, well-blended smokey eye probably takes waaay more time than doing all of the above 5 steps.

What's a no-fail bold lipcolor? Red. Goes with any look, any outfit, and is perfect for any event! My fave is still the Wet N Wild Megalast Lipstick in Stoplight Red. :)

I hope this has been helpful. I'll be back with my favorite peachy make-up products in preparation for the summer! :)

Always,
N

Mine is in the Shade 21

Comes with a puff that you're supposed to use to dab the product on to your face. Has a nice trap door-y, separator-y thingy to keep the sponge separate from the product. This is helpful in keeping things more hygenic, especially in between washes. :)

One dab, unblended

Blended in. Practically disappears/melts into your skin! :)

 To add a healthy flush of color to my cheeks, I dot some of this Ever Bilena Advance Lip & Cheeks Stain on and blend it in. Because it’s a stain, it barely feels like I'm wearing anything. The best part? It’s smudge-proof, so I can wear this all day, out and about, or lounging by the pool without worrying about any sort of smearing.

One small, tiny, baby dot of product goes a really long way with this!

This is the one baby dot blended in. See? :)

This is a really bad picture of the wand. I could not get my camera to focus! Posted this anyway because I wanted to show you. :)

One swipe each