William, my sister's adopted cat

I've read the sickly entry of this kid who thrived in the agony of a poor kitty (his blog page has been taken down but some folks were good enough to take screencaps). Whether you care about cats or are indifferent about 'em, you'd really feel sorry for the unfortunate feline that was innocently beaten (erm, stepped on?) till it gave an anguished kitty cough and bled to death.

The latest news is that people from some animal rights group went to the Discipline Committee of the kid's school to file a complaint. I tried to look for his controversial multiply account, but it's no longer in cyberspace. Tsk, tsk... he can't even be man enough to face the consequences of his unusual musings. Ugh.

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For my non-Tagalog speaker readers: an excerpt of the post

On our way out of old NIP I saw the cat I almost killed last Tuesday. Now everyone knows I hate cats. It’s an unexplainable feeling towards them. Like some internal hatred. I don’t know why but whenever I try to stop myself, I really can’t because I get a kick out of doing these things to cats. I pulled it on its tail and threw it. Then like some pro wrestler I jumped on it and my feet landed on it’s torso. Slam! Felt good! But the cat didn’t die, well not yet. It ran for it's life and just as I was about to catch up on it somebody yelled: "Can you just leave the cat alone?" It was instant and involuntary. I stopped on my tracks. Nobody ever stopped me when assaulting cats. Well I guess there’s always a first time for everything. The cat got away. Or at least that’s what i thought. So we went to lunch Mel, Jayson, Tracy and me. After lunch, we just went back to do whatever we needed to do. Then Tracy and Mel told me "Hey JC, I think you just killed the cat."

Hours later a guy came in. He asked: "Who killed the cat??" Bang! Dat was me boi. Guilty as charged. I didn’t see it die but Myles said it coughed up blood or at least something like that. Didn’t realize I gave it a fatal hit. This isn’t the first time I’ve killed a cat but this time it’s different. It didn’t occur to me back then that the cat had a leash. So I think somebody owns it. Well it’s very well loved in NIP from what I heard and I just ended it’s life. So there you go I’m sorry. And I wont be striking another one for maybe about a month. It feels good when your beating it (a cat) up but you suddenly feel something strange when it turns off permanently. That’s how I feel right now. And maybe for the next days. Dang, am I a cat serial killer?"

Royally yours, Bleak

(a personal review. meant to help out giving an overview in choosing the right bb cream, but does not claim that all effects and insights will be the same for others.)

Skin Description: combination to oily (oily T-zone)
light yellow undertones
light to medium skin tone




Dr. Jart's Silver Label:

Label says:

"This unique professional formula aims at covering skin imperfections, concealing blemishes and activating skin rejuvenation. Soothes red, irritated skin while providing moisture to it. Whitening. A good make up base." (edited)

The Edge:

• SPF 35
• color eventually blends with my skintone in a minute
• medium coverage
• cuts your prep time shorter by skipping foundie if you want a natural yet "covered" look (how do i explain this?)
• a lil amount of the product is needed to cover my face
• i skipped my concealer! yay!
• fair to good oil control (oil control range: poor-fair-good-great) in this humid weather that we have; great oil control inside airconditioned areas.
• not heavily scented (vs. Skinfood, Elianto, Skin79, The Faceshop)

Uh-ohs:

• difficult to blend (using the fingertips)
• not for dry skin types (i think) coz it tends to be a little drying (ive got oily skin, and very oily tzones; it controlled my oilies along the t-zone area but kinda left a flaky cheek and chin)
• the glow it gave my face after washing the product off was relatively mediocre (compared to Elianto BB cream, Skin79 and Skinfood)
• not available in the Philippines
• powder make up can look cakey if BB cream is not applied using a brush (yeah, didn't i say that it's not that blendable using the fingertips?)
• comes in one shade only

I must say that this is my perfect daytime BB cream! Although after my first use, I actually thought of just giving it to my sis (because it dried some parts of my face too much). I was also disappointed that it didn't give the kind of "glow" I expected after washin it off my face.

On fast forward mode... three days after my first use, I started to notice that it stopped drying me out too much. Perhaps my face was just adjusting to pricey products, eh? As for the glow... I'd still say that Elianto does a perfect job giving me that "afterglow" and Skin79's coming in second. Skinfood comes in third and Dr. Jart falls in last.

Silver Label was indeed a good make up base. My mineral make up stayed put, while I only needed to blot twice (in a day) to keep the oilies at bay. Dr. Jart is one amazing product because it allows good coverage and good oil control, while most BB creams often leave out one for the other.


Since I don't have anybody to take pictures of me wearing these fab beauty prods, I took the liberty of using my notebook's webcam.

BEFORE BB cream: zits on the chin, washed my face so my t-zone's less oily than it normally is

a pea-size of the prod and you're all set to a new skin!

(top and bottom pics): AFTER applying Dr. Jart's Silver Label BB Cream, zits are less obvious, my face is glowing and healthy-looking!

Skin79 Shiny Pearl Waterdrop Beblesh Cream (*hingal, hingal*)

Label says:

"Gives the skin radiance and attractiveness because of the shiny pearl. Maintains a natural and sheer look by controlling sebum. The water drop type, which includes plenty of moisture, gives the skin a cooling effect. Aqua-scented. Protects the skin, provides nutrition (from the 8 plant extracts) making the skin shiny, healthy and bright." (edited)

The Edge:

• very sheer and natural on the skin
• blends easily on the face with the fingertips
• color blends with my skintone right away
• lightweight, no-makeup feeling!
• good to great oil control in an airconditioned room
• gives a good glow after washing it off the face

Uh-Ohs:

• has a strong scent
• very sheer coverage; not a good concealer
• no SPF
• for those who hate glittery prods, this has itsy bitsy shinies
• available in one shade only
• not available in the Philippines

For an oily gal like me, I wouldn't even think twice about getting this product because of the word "Shiny" (remember, it's Shiny Pearl Waterdrop?). This is actually a misnomer because it can be surprisingly good with controlling oilies! Its label indicates that it is oil-free, too.

Skin79's Waterdrop gives an edgier twist to your common BB cream because of its "shine"--- the microglitters it contains. These are cute ones that makes you "shine" in a very pretty way. It's just too bad that it doesn't give a good coverage.

If you've got clear skin and you'd like some twist onto your sheer and natural "make-up", then this one's for you!

Before application

microglitters may not be that obvious, but this is the "shine" that it brings--- they might wanna say "bright" rather than "shiny", eh?

If only it had SPF, this'll make a perfect beach BB cream!

FACE-OFF:

	Dr. Jart Silver	Skin79 Waterdrop
Consistency	Thick, difficult to blend	Thin, blendable
Coverage	Medium to heavy	Poor
Shade range	One shade only	One shade only
Price (over ebay South Korea)	P1200 to P1600 ($28 to $33)	P600 to P1000 ($12.50 to $21)
Finish	Dewy, not matte (for a matte finish, top it off with URFP)	Dewy, not matte (for a matte finish, top it off with URFP)
Make-up Base ability	Can be cakey	Great make up base
SPF	35	0
Oil-control (airconditoned room)	Great	Great

N.B. on the "whitening effect of BB creams: I believe that when they say BB creams are "whitening", they meant that it brightens and gives the face a certain kind of glow. I've used a whitening BB cream for 6 months now; taking its "whitening" effect in the context that we Filipinos know of, it never whitened or lightened my skin! Not a single bit. Take for example, wrinkle-free... LOL. Yep, there's a certain brand of BB cream that claims to be wrinkle-free.

I hope this review helped in some sort of way to get you nearer your HG BB cream! Skin79's Hot Pink and VIP Gold Beblesh Creams are intriguing, too (here are Gale's and Nikki's reviews respectively). I'll do a review on these next with 2 more Skin79 BB creams. Till next time!

(message me for your sample needs)

Royally yours, Bleak

I recently learned that the best way to be gentle on your skin is to dab the beauty prods onto your face with the ring finger. Among the rest of the fingers, they say that this exerts the least force. I've tried sliding all my fingers against my cheek, and true enough, the ring finger has the least pressure on the face. Now, everytime I use my cold cream or pat on a concealer, I use my ring finger!


For my 25 y/o and below readers who are wondering what the fuss is with not putting on so much force on the face, it's actually to ward off our hated wrinkles.

There's just no stopping Suri from being adorable.



Heck, the girl's got a bigger wardrobe than I do! I love this little lady to bits and I can't wait for her to grow up!

How bout you? Do you like Suri Cruise, too?

I love Pond's Cold cream because it thoroughly removes my foundation and concealer. It also incorporates a little massage to the face (versus cleansing oils that you plainly splash onto your face) to improve microcirculation.


The Edge:

• waaaaay cheaper than Shu's :D
• mildly scented
• moisturizes skin making it soft and supple afterward
• great for getting tough foundie/concealer off the face
• i have an outrageously sensitive skin and i never broke out on this one

Uh-Ohs:

• you still need a tissue/wet wipe to remove the cream
• there is the need to reapply the cream all over again (after taking it off the first time) if you're wearing heavy make up
  
• the face can get a lil greasy after removing the stuff off your face (an uh-oh for oily skinned gals like me)... but you'll wash the face with soap after, anyway
• if you wear make up daily, the size of the cold cream may be insufficient for you (somebody tell me if it has a bigger size!)

If you're a newbie to make up (just like me) and you're not into make up removers yet, do consider having one. You need it to ensure that the face is squeaky clean after washing with your fave cleanser. You might want to start with a Pond's cold cream purchase!


Royally yours, Bleak

Most girls have a long line of prods for primping and prettifying. Since earning money is rather tough these days, we must make sure that these beauty agents that we spend so much moolah on will be as efficient as it was made to be.

Our skin needs exfoliation at least once every two weeks to slough off icky dead skin cells. Gentle exfoliation removes unwanted elements in the skin (thick dead skin cells plus dirt) so that our creams and lotions will work best to give us that soft, supple and glowing look.

My exfoliation regimen? I gently scrub my face and neck using St. Ives Apricot scrub every week and dry brush the entire body every other day. Facial and neck skin are relatively thinner than the rest of the body, hence, the once a week regimen (it's still okay to exfoliate these thinner areas twice a month).

Face and Neck Exfoliation


St. Ives Apricot Scrub has microbeads to aid in scrubbing the skin. Since this is the case, I don't really understand why most girls need to exert so much force in applying the scrub onto their poor faces. Just gently rub the scrub onto your face and neck in an upward circular motion and let your face and neck bask in the glory of exfoliation!

Don't forget to wash the scrub off thoroughly. You wouldn't want the tiny beads to block the pores.


I love St. Ives Apricot scrub because:

- I instantly notice that my face and neck become softer
- I feel like a huge amount of the metro's dirt has been sloughed off my face
- it has a menthol-y scent and feel that calms and relaxes my skin

Dry Brushing the Body

Scrubbing the skin with loofah prior to wetting it can make a huge difference! I also exfoliate with a wet skin using L'oreal Exfotonic (done every two weeks), but the idea of removing dirt off your body is more optimal when the skin isn't wet. Dry brushing makes it easier to remove dirt and dead skin clls off your thick body skin.



A daily dose of this technique is okay since you get to use light strokes. Here are the steps to do it:

1. Using a loofah or a scrubbing glove, work your way up the body using light strokes beginning with the feet.

2. Provide imaginary bodily divisions as you work your way up (i.e., toes going up towards ankle, ankle going up towards knees, etc). Working your way up activates the technique's detoxifying effect (the skin is the largest organ that excretes waste products, you can just imagine how much detoxification it needs!).

3. Do seven light sweeping motions on every body division.

4. Use a long handled loofah scrubber to exfoliate the back.

A few pointers:

• be sure to use LIGHT, CIRCULAR STROKING MOTIONS. too much pressure will not only scratch your precious skin, it may even stress the valves in your veins (varicose veins, anyone?)
• you may want to dry brush the tummy area using a counter-clockwise stroke to improve digestion
• keep your loofah off wounds and infections

Why I love dry brushing:

- it gives me a certain kind of glow after using my fave Olay shower cream. I tried scratching off dry brushing from my bath routine for several weeks and I was able to conclude that this method does a HUGE difference...and I finally decided to continue this exfoliating regimen even if it eats up a couple of my precious minutes.
- it softens and makes my skin supple
- i feel uber clean!

Now that you've warded off dirt and dead skin cells from your face and bod, it's time to slather on those expensive beauty stuff and experience better skin!

Exfoliation isn't much of a rave when it comes to prettifying. Now that you know what big difference it makes, maybe you'll stop thinking twice about purchasing that funny loofah scrub.


Royally yours, Bleak

Whenever I need some "natural high" after a long day, I know I could always count on a favorite site called totallylookslike.com. Here are my fave picks from their 'Look-Alikes' tab that keeps me amused:

(all photos courtesy of totallylookslike.com)

Separated at birth?









Cool, huh? Have you got laughtrip sites that you often visit? Lemme know so I can add more web addies to my roster of funny and amusing sites!


Royally yours, Bleak

This contest excites me coz I've never owned a brush collection, ever! Hopefully I could win a posh set like the Shu Mika Hearts. Join the contest now (contest ends May 7, 6pm [GMT+8] and who knows, you might win, too (Beauty for a Living is giving away a couple of prizes!)

click me to enlarge and read the benefits of BB creams

BB creams are selling like hot pancakes these days. Why would they not? With a roster of skin benefits that they promise, these pretty tubs are worth giving a try.

I've used Blemish balm (BB) creams for half a year now and I can really attest that most of the brands I've tried evened out my skin tone and improved the overall condition of my skin. The best thing about it (that keeps me really hooked with the craze) is that it gives my face a certain kind of glow that is visible during and after application. Really.

Choosing the right BB cream isn't the quickest and easiest prettifying activity you'll ever go through. Here are a few pointers in choosing your holy grail (HG) BB cream:the skin79 BB cream line... they sure have a LOT!

1. Prepare to put a little dent on that card.
Be forewarned that the road to your HG BB cream will entail you to swipe and spend. You're one lucky gal if you get to buy "the one" at first shot. Samples and testers are good ways to keep your shopping spree as efficient as possible.

2. Know what you want.
Even BB creams can't have it all. Oftentimes, you will be confronted with several advantages and disadvantages, and so, it is very important to know what you want for your skin. BB creams can: (1) control excessive oil, (2) cover imperfections, (3) provide a pretty high SPF value. Wanting to achieve impressive oil control may not allow your product to give you a good coverage, or vice versa. Weigh your options and know what your skin really needs so that you can narrow down your choices and keep your overspending abilities at bay.

3. Read the label.
I'm used to mineral make ups having only a handful of ingredients in them. BB creams have tons of stuff in it so it's best to check the label for the things it contain (most users develop an allergic reaction to marine collagen and some polymer compounds).

4. Sample, if you must!
I started out with BB creams by asking for an itsy bitsy sample in a sanitized pot. I choose not to sample it right then and there since I want to test the prod in humid conditions (rather than in a cooler, airconditioned store) and that I want to make sure that I can see how the BB cream looks on me under natural light (shop lights do tweak the color). Most BB creams have one or two shades (except for Elianto), so make sure that you test them under natural lighting conditions.



5. BB creams appear whitish at first, but eventually blends with your skin tone in a couple of minutes.
If it doesn't, you may choose to just ditch it.

It may be a pretty tough job to go through scouting for the best BB cream, but once you get hold of your HG BB cream (or creams!), you'll feel that it's all worth the trouble! Happy BB cream hunting!

Royally yours, Bleak

It's a relief that anybody can now create bigger and brighter eyes with a lil help from make-up and some double eyelid producing tapes and glues.

above: Koji Eyetalk double eyelid glue, HK$49
below: eyetapes, HK$15 each

I got myself some eye tapes and a Koji eyetalk double eyelid glue to test out. I'm starting out with eye tapes (they're relatively easier than the complex glues) and I love how my eyes look prettier with more obvious creases. Now, my patients don't have to ask me if I'm Chinese or what :D

Will post reviews soon!

Royally yours, Bleak

May 1 - Labour Day
A treat for a job well done: BB CREAMS!

I got these babies over ebay. Thanks legendeux for promptly shipping my stuff over! I'm one happy gal to have gotten these BB creams within six days after winning the bids.

1- Dr. Jart Rejuvenating Blemish Base Silver Label, SPF 35, 50mL, $24.95

2 - Skin79 Shiny Pearl Water Drop, 43.5g, $9.99
3 - Skin Food Aloe Sun, SPF 20, 50g, $10.49
4 - Skin79 Super Beblesh Balm Pink, SPF 25, 5g
5 - Skin79 Super Beblesh Balm Gold, SPF 25, 5g
6 - Skin79 Diamond Collection Prestige, SPF 25, 5g
7 - Skin 79 Diamond Collection Pearl, 5g

I got myself a box of skin79 BB Cream Super Plus Diamond mini-set (which is earning a couple of good reviews, by the way) coz it looks so cute and easy to tote along:

Set of 4 fab BB Creams for $10.49

Yipeee! Freebies galore! Legendeux is such a princess to throw in these beauty prods in my pack of stuff:


*****
First thing I grabbed was the water pearl drop that I was lemming on a couple of weeks ago. I'm in love with it! I feel like a princess in it.

Will post reviews soon!

Royally yours, Bleak