Category: beauty

human nature lipsticks: lucky in love and coral kiss + petal bloom blush

I have tried several HN products before, but this is my first time to try their lipsticks.

I got: 100 % Natural Hydrating Mineral Lipstick in Lucky in Love (a warm red) and Coral Kiss (peach/coral) (PhP 175 each); and 100 % Natural Mineral Blush in Petal Bloom (PhP 195).

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I have the blush in Rosy Cheeks but I prefer the Petal Bloom shade better. I love it. It’s a peach color with a hint of pink, and brings brightness to my face without making me look too made-up.

As for the lipsticks, for tubes that cost less than PhP 200, these are pretty good. Pigmentation is decent, the lipsticks glide smoothly, and the finish is satin. These colors are, of course, not transfer-resistant, so you’d have to re-apply.

Cute packaging. They are shorter than your normal lipstick tubes.

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Remember: mineral make-up expires earlier than regular make-up. As you can see in the very first photo, these babies will expire by October this year. Yikes. I better use them every day then.

 Click here to order.

snoe in december

Back! And my Christmas weekend can be summed up in one photograph:

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J with a bag of bags of chips.

I got some gifts for myself. Thanks to Carina of Softly Sometimes, I discovered another local source of organic products and cosmetics, Snoe Beauty. A worthy addition to all of my Human Nature products.

I got Poudre Phenomenon, Rouge Deluxe in Vintage Rose, and Beso Balm. Don’t you just love the packaging?

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Poudre Phenomenon is a “completely translucent powder that sets foundation and mattifies skin. It will soften the appearance of skin imperfections and fits all skin tones. Oil -absorbing nutrient rich Bamboo Silk & high-grade ultra fine silica powder covers the pores without clogging. Witch hazel extract control excess sebum and protects against irritation. Sage extract to help shrink pores. Purefix- DC inhibits acne bacteria. It will stop inflammation and also acts as an anti-oxidant.”

I applied Poudre Phenomenon on my bare face and it lay translucent on my skin. I’m amazed it didn’t come off as espasol white, no matter how much powder I put on. I’m excited about the promise of oil control because I’m a commuter, but I haven’t tested it yet. Let’s see what happens during the summer.

Beso Balm is mentholated like HHN’s Tinted Lip Balm, but moisturizes much much better. Vintage Rose is a pink shade with a hint of mauve, for that fresh look. It’s a shade you can wear every day. See the other colors here.

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Order Snoe Beauty products online.

‘party like it’s 1999’

It’s the end of the world and we’re still here, so I’m going to Bulacan for Christmas. Maybe The Hobbit tonight, maybe another poem tomorrow.

I might be offline until Tuesday night, but first, here are last night’s office shenanigans at the Hard Rock Cafe, starring the Mocha Girls.

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Got Revlon Colorburst in Sugar Plum at the office exchange gift! It’s a great shade. Here be my big face:

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Before I let you go, a couple of things:

Be with your loved ones this coming weekend. Take care!

switching to human nature

I’ve talked about Human Nature here before, but now I’m of the mind to start the switch to this beauty line and completely commit to HN, at least for hair and facial care. Why not? The products are affordable, locally made, effective, and kind to the environment. It doesn’t work for everyone, however; you need only look at the reviews on their site. For every ten giddy good reviews, there’s bound to be one who will say that the shampoo makes her scalp itch, or the lip balms do nothing at all to her chapped lips. But if it works for you, why not stick with it? I’ve always been wary of products with strong scents – even my nose can tell  they have harsh chemicals that pollute our waters after I rinse them off. Just take our everyday shampoo:

Did you know: Enjoying that foamy lather you get from chemical shampoos? It’s usually from chemical surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). Sure, the lather feels nice but do you ever wonder what happens to all that foam after you rinse it off? It goes back into our rivers and oceans, where it is very toxic to the ecosystem.

In addition, SLS/SLES has been reported by the Environmental Working Group(www.ewg.org) as a moderate hazard to human health. It’s been linked to skin irritation, cancer and organ toxicity. (Source.)

Buying organic is a small step to something good, I think.

So I’ve tried the shampoo and conditioner in Lush Vanilla as well as the Natural Lip Balm and Mineral Blush, and loved them. Here are other products I liked:

Natural Intensive Hair Mask (Rosemary) – Best. Thing. Ever. Has gugo bark, coconut, and avocado. Makes my scalp all tingly and leaves my hair soft and manageable. Amazing product. I’d probably still go to the salon to straighten my hair, but for everything else (hot oil/relax/etc), I’ll just pile this on.

Purifying Facial Scrub – Has real strawberry seeds! This doesn’t foam (which surprised me at first) but it cleans thoroughly and has lessened my blackheads.

Tinted Lip Balm (Island Kiss) – This has peppermint, so leaves my lips with an icy, tingly feel. Perfect for the beach and hot days outdoors. I find that the Natural Lip Balm hydrates more, though.

Sunflower Seed Beauty Oil – Has no other ingredient but high-grade sunflower oil. Has multiple uses:

Our premium and best-selling Sunflower Beauty Oil is 100% Natural and packed with vitamins A, D & E that help moisturize and nourish your skin to give it that healthy glow —without any harmful chemicals. It’s so effective and so versatile, the uses are endless! What kind of miracles, you ask? Well for starters it…
1. Softens and lightens underarms
2. Lightens dark under eye circles
3. Lightens darks spots and pimple marks
4. Under eye moisturizer
5. Prevents and diminishes the appearance of stretch marks
6. Softens feet soles, knees and elbows
7. Removes stubborn makeup
8. Overall body moisturizer
9. Moisturizes dry hair ends
10. Softens the cuticles
11. De-frizzes hair
12. Adds shine to dull hair
13. Relieves itching and inflammation caused by insect bites
14. Nourishes and conditions eyelashes
15. Lightens dark lips
16. Soothes skin after shaving
17. Relieves itchy scalp
18. Soothes skin damaged by sunburn
19. Smoothens skin from shaving
20. Helps soothe rashes
21. Helps heal skin infections
22. Hydrates dry patches

I use this on my eye bags, elbows, and knees, but I should try putting some on my cracked soles.

Bug Shield Lotion – Haven’t used this but heard this is very effective.

If you’re buying their products, take note of the expiration date. Since these products contain natural ingredients, they usually expire a year after purchase.

Click here to order.

Also, HN didn’t pay me to write this! :)

happiness in a box

Due to my impatience (and because I was going home that weekend), I decided to just order Human Nature products online instead of going to Shopwise Makati (which may not carry the big sizes anyway).

I ordered: Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner (Lush Vanilla), Wild Berry Lip Balm, and Rosy Cheeks Pressed Blush. Everything cost me around PhP 580, including taxes and shipping.

It arrived the next day, all bubble-wrapped inside a cute box.

I’ve used the hair care products and I am very impressed. I love the scent, and the products left my hair smooth and silky. Not to mention that these products are cheaper than the brands I usually buy and use. Definitely worth your money. I wished the blush came with a brush, though.

If you’re in the US, click here to shop.

In other non-hair-related news: I’m now reading Broken Harbour by Tana French. It’s really good. I wish I could just go home and read and read and read. I’ve also ordered Catherynne Valente’s The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. Excited.

I vaguely remember saying that I won’t buy any more books, but the memory is faulty and the flesh is weak.

organic shampoo?

I was told by the stylist not to wash my hair for three days following treatment. I managed to stop myself from pouring water on my head for 48 hours. No more. I couldn’t take it. It’s disgusting.

But I did decide to try out gentler hair products. Found these at Healthy Options.

Healthy stuff make your wallets sick – these cost around PhP 150 per 62 ml. bottle, much much more expensive than the regular 200 ml. shampoos like Palmolive that cost less than PhP 100.

They smell good, though. And my hair’s still straight and manageable, so hooray, not a waste of 3K.

I’ll look for Human Nature products next time. Those are way cheaper. Any recos? :)