I am both ranting and raving today.

After finishing half of the 50mL Elianto Multiplex BB Cream I proudly considered my HG, I am officially announcing that it breaks me out! I feel terrible seeing how this BB cream has "turned its back on me". Boohooo.

I've always blamed my hormones and sleeping late as the causes of my never-ending chin breakouts. Recently, I often stayed home (I quit work to give way for my review, remember?) and skipped my bb cream moments. I'm surprised that despite sleeping in the wee hours of the morning and that my period's coming up, no new zits have piled up on my chin! I can actually see my chin these days, I thought.

And then it hit me... the only product I stopped using since I noticed an improved chin was my prized Elianto Multiplex.

And so it's official... the great bb cream isn't for me.

On a happier note, I am falling in love with Barenaturals' Skin Perfecting Primer! I've earlier claimed that it poorly controlled my oilies. Allow me to retract that. Let me tell you that I am considering this as my daily primer.

No, it still doesn't impress me that much when it comes to keeping my 'oiliest of the oiliest' face mattified, but it does a decent job in keeping my makeup on and my face clean on a daily basis. I still use blotting papers a couple of times, but since I am only attending review classes (inside an air conditioned room), Barenaturals' Skin Perfecting Primer is perfect!

And oh, I've commuted from my place to my patient's (it's a polluted, sweaty, and humid 30-minute jeepney and tricycle ride) and I'm surprised that I'm only a little bit on the dewy side! This happened thrice already.

And so it's official... Barenaturals' Skin Perfecting Primer is an impressive one.

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Let me share one more thing with you guys. Look what I found:

Must be the reason why I broke out, huh?

I posted a while back how I loved using The Bodyshop's professional sponge to achieve a better look with my mineral foundies. I would've gladly backed it up sooner if it didn't go out of stock in almost all branches... for weeks!

Imagine my relief when I scored one over their branch at SM Fairview. Great, I thought. It was just a lil weird that the one I bought previously costed me P200 flat, while this new one was P250.

Price increase, I thought.

But to my horror, I discovered that I might've paid a lot for this new one. The sponge is inside a resealable type of packing (so is the old one I got from Galleria), so it's a little easy for me to think I might've been cheated.

Let me show you Exhibits A to D, and you be the judge:

New one (left) vs Old (right) one: New- P250 Old- 200. Bodyshop: "We've increased the price and shrank the sponge! It's recession after all!"

New sponge (left photo) out of the resealable plastic

Length and width difference

Thickness difference

Height difference

If anyone has been an avid fan of the bodyshop's professional sponge from way back, have you noticed this difference if in any case you've repurchased recently? I'd love to know as I hate to imagine that I was cheated on this.

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Allow me to sidetrack a bit...

I've been procrastinating my review that I was enrolled into 3 years ago for my busy life as a physiotherapist. Today, I quit work to make way for what I've been putting off for the past years. I will miss hospital work, but I still get a tinge of it via my home care patients.

Honestly, I'm scared of review school. I'm scared that I forgot a whole lot of my profession's theory. It's a great deal of difference between the academe and hospital set-up... a lil prcentage of the classroom stuff is significant to the job. Sad, noh? But that's reality. At least for us, PT's.

I enrolled last 2006. Good thing that it was a 'lifetime' review. Ayos noh? Where on earth can you find something like that?

I hope to take the US Licensure for PT mid-quarter of next year. Wish me luck as I jump into a whole new facet of my career.

Whew! There are loads of contests going on in the blogger community and I'm so ecstatic!

Femalenetwork's promo

Thiamere's Contest

Rebecca's Giveaway

IMBB's Giveaway

Moving on with my Primer Review Series, let me do Barenaturals' Skin Perfecting Primer.

Skin Perfecting Primer sample, 5mL, 145php($4), from Barenaturals' site

I was a little reluctant to try this primer since its consistency was the most 'fluid' among the usual primers I've tried. However, it's a good thing that I chose not to pass up on this because it has a good number of pro's.

What I liked about it:

• no scent at all
• skin feels smooth and velvety ala smashbox photofinish primer
• little amount is enough to create a good base for smoothing your foundie
• locally available and relatively cheap
• has sample bottles; good value for your money
• Barenaturals owner practices good great customer service!

Uh-ohs:

• sample bottle has no pump for the flowy product to be dispensed properly
• product is too runny for my liking
• my oilies busted its oil-control abilities in 2 hours (t think that tonight was rather a cool evening... wondering how soon it will take for my makeup to budge if it were extremely hot and humid...)

Here's a pic I took after hearing mass (this was an hour after putting makeup on). We walked our way to and from the church as it wasn't too far from home. Notice that my face is staring to look dewy (which is a bad sign):

Face: Clinique DDMG

Barenaturals Skin Perfecting Primer

Clinique Superfit foundie in Neutral

Barenaturals Premium Glow mineral makeup in Olive Neutral Light-Med

Aromaleigh URFP

Cheeks&Lips: Bodyshop's lip and cheek tint

Hmmm, so I used a premium glow mineral foundie. I wonder if it is the cause of tonight's freaking oil. I'll give the primer another try using something else (like my dependable Joppa/Pure Anada mmu's that can control oilies) and update you.

Generally, I think that the not-so-oily gals will love this. It's cheap, locally available and it can give you that smashbox primer feel! Sadly, it didn't do well on me (for this night) so I don't think I'll be getting a full-sized bottle anytime soon.