The Etude House dear Darling Tint is a good alternative if you want a pop of color on the cheeks and a pair of effortlessly kissable lips. At 198php (~$4), this is a good lip and cheek tint.

Packaging

The almost gel-like tint is housed in a rather wide and long plastic. It has a doe-foot applicator just like most popular tints. This one is scented and has an initial grapefruit taste to it when applied on the lips.

Etude House Dear Darling Tint in Berry Red
a month after I purchased

Color

I'm not impressed with the color pay-off as I find it a bit unnatural (my gold standard is the natural flush that The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Tint gives me). Etude House's Dear Darling Tint is quite similar to the color you get from Nichido lip and cheek tint so make sure you don't apply too much on the cheeks.

When swatched, Dear Darling tint is very similar to The Bodyshop's tint
(L): The Bodyshop (R): Dear Darling Tint in Berry Red

Shade

There are 3 shades available: berry red (01), real red (02), and orange red (03). I got berry red since SA claimed it sold like pancakes. 01, as I've observed over the Etude House counter, has a stronger shade of berry than 02. 03 might be the least enticing to purchase because it really did nothing for my NC30 skintone.

Overall Impression

Because of the cheap tag, I'm satisfied with this product. It was able to give my lips a hint of color that adds to brightening up my face to improve the way I look. It has an impressive staying power both on the lips and cheeks. Minus the unnaturally red flush it gave me and the fact that it dries up relatively quick (vs The Body Shop's), I would've given the Dear Darling Tint a 5-star rating.

I will not recommend this to those who have stubborn-dry lips. Tints just emphasize the ugly truth.

Dear Darling Tint bigger than Bodyshop's

The big question is, will I repurchase the Etude House Dear Darling Tint when I run out? If I had the extra cash, I'd rather go for the Bodyshop's Lip and cheek tint (despite the fact that it has a less impressive staying power than the dear darling tint). On less financially glorious days, I consider this product a savior!

The devil can be deceiving...

Its evil twin (source)

first 2 Miu Miu shoe photos from Netaporter

I can't believe I let Beautynomics' contest pass me by! Well, almost, since we all have until March 30, 2011 to join!

Win prizes from Avon, Pond’s, L’Oreal Paris, The Body Shop, PureDerm, Obagi, Beauty & Minerals, Goodskin Labs and Golla! Visit Beautynomics’ 5th Year Anniversary Contest entry

Here's a roster of what's up for grabs:

1. 5 Pond’s Gift Packs ( full range of either Pond’s Gold Radiance, Flawless White, or Age Miracle )
2. 1 The Body Shop Shiso White Skin Care range
3. 5 L’Oreal Paris Gift Packs + Charm Luxe Kabuki Brush
4. 5 Avon Gift Packs mixed with Purederm Goodies
5. 5 Golla Bags with Pond’s Dual Action UV Therapy Eye Cream inside each bag!
( 3-12-11 update : okay, got the bags – here are the descriptions – 1 Golla Ipod Touch/Iphone Pouch, 1 Golla Ipad Messenger Bag, 2 Golla Laptop Sleeves, and 1 very cute Golla Laptop bag! )
6. 1 Obagi C-Rx Set ( Cleanser, Toner, Moisturizer )
7. 1 Kerastase Hair Care Set ( Basic Nutritive Set )
8. 1 Special Gift Pack from Goodskin Labs ( latest added : March 4, 2011 )

That's a total of 24 winners! JOIN Beautynomics' Giveaway today!

I love how the 4U2 Glitz Shimmer Brow Mascara works wonders for me! I got the dark brown shade (which looked black to me) which suited me just fine.

I initially wanted to get shade 02, which is brown, since I felt it suited my colored hair better. However, it ended up streaking my brow with this weird whitish color at the tips. But it could've been the tester, i'll sure be back to give that prettier shade a second chance!

4U2 Glitz Shimmer Brow Mascara 01 swatch

4U2 Brow Mascara costs a fraction of a MAC browset. It delivers satisfactorily despite the cheap tag (not as marvelous as MAC's, though). This is available in all 4U2 Cosmetics counters in Watson's and SM Department Stores priced at P 234.00.

Will definitely recommend this to those who can't afford a MAC browset and wants to prettify the face further by enhancing the brows. I often use this after using the In2it or ELF Brow Kit to keep my brows in place but on lazy days, I plainly use a dash of the 4U2 brow mascara on my brows to frame my face.

1: Thick application of the Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner
2: perfect brows to frame the face (thanks to 4U2 brow mascara)
3: after 2 hours on my oily lids... smokey look na
4: effect of 4U2 brow mascara + maybelline gel liner
5: bare face: before Pure Anada Minerals+4U2+Maybelline
6: don't let the shimmers freak you out; not shimmery at all on the brows
7: brow mascara 6.5g, P234; gel liner, P449

Learning to apply the product properly on the brows for makeup newbs will definitely want them to repurchase. I discourage those who do not plan to use this often as I noticed that this brow mascara dries up in the bottle gradually over time.

I love the 4U2 Glitz Shimmer Brow Mascara to bits. It's cheap, effective and definitely something that can revamp the way your face looks!

1. Private Warehouse Sale of the best baby brands. Print out this flier to be able to get in. March 26-27, 2011.

2. Super Sale at The Grove, Rockwell. Drop by the Super Sale's 8th installment today up until Sunday for makeup, fashion and everything else on the best bargain! March 25-27.

3. chuvaness.livejournal.com is giving away FIVE zebra swatches

photo from chuvaness.livejournal.com

4. Tisha's Cocomo Swimsuit Giveaway. Till March 27, so HURRY!

5. The Big Outlet Sale 2011. And please save up for this huge affair: LuxAsia will be here too, so that means tons of great low- and high-end makeup brands on sale! April 15-17

Thank heavens it's Friday! Enjoy the coming weekend!

What makes me not hate all that scorching heat and humidity when I commute to school? A functional sunblock that eliminates piling up too much stuff on the face!

My current fave, since my face is starting to oil up like crazy with the heat, ---- the Lab 46 Tinted Moisturizer! Label says it has plant-derived placenta and collagen. Interesting...

Lab46 Tinted Sunblock, 500php
got it from my derma's clinic (Doc Six Foronda)

- goes smoothly on my oily skin

- absorbs fairly quick

- SPF 45

- no breakouts

- acts as a primer to keep facial oil at bay (this sunblock may be too drying in the cooler months)

- does not leave the skin sticky nor sweaty (in comparison to MOST bb creams which act as functional sunblocks, too)

Battle of the SPF's: Lab 46 SPF 45, Neutrogena SPF 50, Hamilton SPF 80

Just watch out for the scent. It didn't tickle my fancy albeit bearable. Also, this does not result to a full coverage tint... it just evened out my skintone. 

Housed in a lightweight, plastic tub

To conclude, I love it and I'm using it alternately with my Hamilton SPF 80 sunblock!

"One of the greatest steps to land your foot on in this big staircase called happiness is doing what you love most"  -nagsesenting herroyalbleakness, ngayung ngayon lang habang nagbabasa ng libro kaya napa-blog bigla

Can one exude sexiness by posing with the mouth left slighly opened?

Case in point: Kate Moss x Longchamp Summer 2011 Campaign Ads

'

Kate Moss is oozing sexy in the midst of the great hard work and toil needed to launch a collection. The secret? Do something you really, really, really love. I know it's no secret at all but this one's just so difficult to do. *sighs heavily and goes back to reading PT books*

I suddenly remembered how much I wanted to be a Disney Princess when I was young!

Let the amazing work of renowned photographer, Annie Leibovitz, give your Disney dreams a touch of reality:

Who wouldn't fall in love happily ever after with the gorgeous SJ? (Ryan Reynolds raises both hands)

Scarlett Johannson

Can Wendy be any hotter? Yes! (And oh, Tina Fey plays Tink)

Giselle Bundchen

I can never picture her as a villain. She's such a sweetheart, for chrissake!

Queen Latifah

I knew it always looked this eerie inside the evil queen's room (but that's a sexy man on the mirror!).

Alec Baldwin, Olivia Wilde

Two sets of Beauty and the Beast:

Drew Barrymore

This is more like Belle, for me...

Jeff Bridges, Penelope Cruz

What a fairy godmother must've really looked like in the flesh.

Julie Andrews, Abigail Breslin

 Least fave (because I've always thought that Jasmine flew with Aladdin on a magic carpet ride... not with Abu) Weird outfit + a goon-looking prince for Jasmine= an unhappy ending (sorry fans).

Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony

Nobody warned Prince Charming that NARS blushes are higly pigmented.

Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens

I love Julianne Moore but because the child in me loves Ariel more, I wish they got someone a bit younger for the part.

Julianne Moore, Michael Phelps

Loving how 4 sets of Wizard of Oz photos never left out Toto!

Keira Knightley

How imeldific can Dorothy be? Noticed her heels from all 4 pics? :)

 And this is just so surreal! Rachel Weisz can't be any other Disney princess but Snow White!

If you were to choose ONE favorite from these photos, which one would it be?

Plains and Prints has created a collection I'm beginning to love! Most pieces look so polished and safe --- something that screams ME. 

Backtrack: I've ventured a bit with fashion (trying to go eclectic, but nah) and eventually strayed from my comfort zone, but I ended up going back to my usual comfort pieces.

Agatha sleeveless sailor top, 1295
Rapunzel shorts, 995

So when Plains and Prints launched their latest chic line-up, I was instantly stunned by their blue pieces (my fave color!)

First Set of Picks: Uber Clean Blue & White

loving that peppermint Anatalia pants

Second Set: Denim Blues

Third Set: Blues and Stripes

my fave set! so chic and girly and stripey! (girls love the right kind of stripes!)

Fourth Set: Stark Blue

Last month, I was able to try on that Arlene sleeveless sailor dress in Carribean orange (surprisingly, I preferred that color over blue) and the BF absolutely approved of it (the model above wore a size too small; had she worn something a wee bit bigger, it would've flowed nicely like she sprung out of a 60's mag). However, I felt that the size was too snug on the armpits that I can no longer gain a millimeter of fat on that area if I wanted the dress to still look flattering on me. Next size was already too big :(

Plains and Prints' sizing has been a bit of a problem for me. It's often a hit or miss.

However, for this collection, I dare not miss trying out the pieces I love! These are just a few ensembles of what Plains and Prints have to offer that I picked out ... they have loads of other chic stuff so better check them out before they run out of sizes!

Thank you everyone for the comforting words and prayers for my brother who's in Saitama. We've received word from him last week and we are thankful to God that he's all good (still a bit worried about the nuclear radiation though, Saitama has been reported to experience radiation 40 times normal levels).

Anyway, I'm terribly sorry for being unable to visit my favorite blogs and for not updating my home page. I've received query emails on how the Revlon Colorsilk in Light Ash Brown (50) fares on the locks after a few months.

Revlon Colorsilk 50 after 1 1/2 months

I actually think that the salon who applied the dye didn't do as superb as
my Revlon colorist, Joanne did (Revlon hold FREE hair dye application you see)

You will notice that my roots are starting to turn black again. The dye is not drying to the scalp, but I noticed that my hair needed extra care after I had it colored. I take extra time conditioning my locks to make sure that my hair still looks vibrant, fresh and nice.

I've been dyeing my hair for almost 2 years now and I see a positivity in my aura with this kind of color. I'm beginning to feel that I am addicted to Revlon's Colorsilk dye!

Hair history: 

• 1st hair color: Revlon Colorsilk Light Golden Brown #54
• 2nd hair color: still, #54, recolored 3 1/2 months after
• 3rd hair color: Revlon Colorsilk Light Ash Brown #50, done 3 months after
• 4th hair color: still #50, done 5 months after
• 5th hair color: still #50, done 4 months after
• 7th hair color: still #50, done 3 months after
• 8th hair color (present): loyal to Revlon Colorsilk #50, done 5 months after

L-R: (photo 1) taken 5 yrs ago; (photos 2-4) taken recently, welcome to the haggard world of adulthood!

Having my hair colored is among the greatest makeovers I did to myself. My folks didn't quite get it as they seemed to prefer their natural daughter (LOL) over the blondie* girl. My friends, colleagues, and bf raved about my new hair color, though.

I have nothing but high praises for Revlon Colorsilk. It's a cheap product (395php) that can transform your looks in the most pleasing way!

*blondie - Filipino monicker for someone who's got their hair colored... even if it ain't true blonde ;)

sweet corn - my folks' monicker for Filipinas who had their hair dyed blonde

I and my family are worried sick about my brother studying in Saitama, Japan. We're all praying that he's safe.

We've only heard from his girlfriend as of now (through Facebook and Twitter). She accounts that the school she was working at shook like crazy. She hasn't heard from my brother yet and is unable to contact him. The last update we have had from her is that she's dead scared of the aftershocks that followed through every 10-20 minutes.

I know God will keep them safe. I am praying for those people in Japan, especially those in Miyagi. I am also praying that the devastation stops here... I am hoping that no other country shares the same fate.

My wacky brother and his GF... i miss them so much!