AMW Reviews: Yves Rocher Eclat Radiance Rinsing Vinegar

One way to take care of your hair is by using a clarifying shampoo at least once a week!  I've written about it in this post.  Who would've thought my clarifying hair routine could get so exciting?

After my Yves Rocher Store Visit at Trinoma, I saw this hair care product called Eclat Radiance Rinsing Vinegar and Yves Rocher Philippines' Brand Manager Vianca Tan, who's also a friend of mine, swore by this.

Are you sure?  Vinegar?  On my hair?

Well, I tweeted about it and seems there are a lot of my gorgeous haired friends do use regular vinegar once or twice a month to add shine to their hair and reduce residue from other hair care products. 

Yves Rocher says ---

A genuine traditional remedy revisited by Yves Rocher to enhance the natural shine of your hair and leave it radiant with beauty. Its delectable scent alone is a divine sensory experience.
The Plus: its delectable scent
To be used before the final rinse.
Care for all hair types.
Tested under dermatological supervision.
size: 5 fl. oz. Bottle / 150 ml

Readers' Corner: Makeup For Mature Skin

I have been asked multiple times by older readers or makeup artist readers regarding makeup for mature skin!  Before I talk any further, I am in no way implying I've perfected makeup for mature skin but I have a good number of experiences applying makeup on them so today, I'm sharing some of the tips and tricks I learned through the years.  (And I'm still learning by the way..)

makeup by: Nikki

hair by: Kim

Skin Prep

As a makeup artist, if your client is young, you can get away by skipping moisturizers or primer application.  For mature skin, this is the most crucial stage. Check the condition of your skin or your clients' skin, do they suffer from freckles, wrinkles or extreme dryness?   

From there, you can pinpoint the right product to use!  For extreme dryness, a thin layer of moisturizer can be used to apply all over the skin.  For wrinkles, I prefer to use wrinkle-filling cream and gently dab the wrinkled area for a plump look.  How about freckles and other skin discolorations?  Pull out your corrector palette, this is the time to practice the right way of correcting.

Foundation/Makeup Base

One of the most difficult parts in makeup application for mature skin is choosing the right foundation.  I have used different types of foundations --- liquids, creams, gels, powders.  They all ended up looking dry and cake-y.  Then it hit me, do mature skinned clients want the thick foundation base?  The answer was plain and simple and I hear them all the time: "Please, I prefer light makeup!"

A light bulb moment hit me, you can use any moisturizing foundation on a mature skin as long as you get to apply it only on areas that needed the coverage!

Undereye circles, discoloration around the cheeks, etc... I try to steer away from concealers and use foundation thickly if needed for coverage!  For the rest of the skin that's clear and young-looking?  Let it breathe, set the face with a nice age-defying powder foundation. 

Eye Makeup

Mature client can get away without eye makeup!  All you need to do is to groom their brows and make sure to draw them not too thin or too thick.  The brows must complement the shape of the eyes and face. 

If you must apply eyeshadow, try to limit eyeshadow application to maximum of 2 MATTE shades.  Earth tones are the bests and steer away from glittery shadows as they could enhance droopy looking eyes.

Dark brown pencil liners are my favorite to use, gel liners or liquid liners may come off too strong!  Load their lashes with loads of mascara for definition.

Keep in mind that we would like to make their eyes the center of attention by enhancing them.

Blush

For teenagers to young adult, we can get away by applying blush on the apples of the cheeks but for mature clients, the rule is a bit different.  The best way to apply blush is to use a large fluffy brush and sweep the color over the highest point of the cheekbones to create an illusion of "lifted face".

Rosy pink or peachy shades minus the glitters are best used!

Lipstick

Just like us, clients who are aged 50 and above have their own lipstick shade preference.  Some are comfortable with natural lip color while others are more comfortable wearing bright red!  (Yes, I have an 80 year old client who loves her MAC Russian Red!)  Choosing a lip color isn't a problem but applying lipstick can be crucial in making a mature client look "feeling hippy" or "oldie but goodie"!

Use a lip brush for more defined lips and create fuller lips if needed especially for clients with very thin-looking lips.

Some more tips

• Contouring is very important, master the right angles where shading is needed.  The right way of contouring will create an uplifted look without the surgery!
• Highlight the center of the face.  When I say highlight, I do not mean using glittery powders, I prefer highlighting using powder foundation 2-3 shades lighter than the skin color applied at the center of the face.  It gives a very natural yet awake look!
• After makeup is done, if skin feels dry or dehydrated, sprits the face with moisturizing water to hydrate the skin and blot off excess with a napkin.  This will also help set the makeup making it stay longer.

To my readers who asked about mature skinned makeup for their moms and grandmothers, I hope this simple article helps!
To the rest of my makeup artist readers, feel free to add more tips for our AMW readers!

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AMW Reviews: Penshoppe's Rouge Lip Shade in Sangria

Penshoppe has always been one of the many brands I look up to when I was young, I would go into their stores and purchase t-shirts or jeans as a gift for my brothers or sister.  I would save up all my Christmas and New Year "red envelopes" for a nice Penshoppe top.

And who would've thought Penshoppe went global with the epic ALL STARS campaign featuring Ed Westwick, Leighton Meester, Ian Somelhalder and Asian matinee idol Mario Maurer and the most recent, Zac Efron?  Penshoppe definitely expanded its product portfolio and I'm not surprised they are now widely available ONLINE!

And what made Penshoppe even more interesting?  The availability of personal care collection --- from lipsticks to eye pencils, brush sets and fragrances!  

Since I am into beauty products, I can't help but got intrigued with the newest makeup line from Penshoppe.  I tried their Rouge Lip Shade in Sangria at once and mind you, it's a red shade!  And I'm finally comfortable wearing red!

Penshoppe says ---

Penshoppe allows you to channel your inner vixen into a sexy pout with Rouge Lip Shade, a limited edition collection of red lipsticks.  With three rich hues to suit the different skin tones of women --- Satine, Scarlet and Sangria, Rouge Lip Shade is a woman's must-have for a voluptuous pout.

Rouge Lip Shade is fortified with Color Hydradiance factor, a healthy blend of antioxidant benefits from white tea extracts. 

Size: 4g

AMW says ---

Pros

• Well sealed upon purchase.

• Glides on lips smoothly.
• Doesn't flake.
• Non-drying formula.
• Sangria is a nice deep reddish maroon shade that looks good on most skin color.
• Inexpensive.
• No weird scent.

Cons

• Only 3 shades available plus the fact that these are Limited Edition.

Overall

Housed in a gorgeous clear tube making it look like high-end lipstick brand.  The color Sangria is smooth and creamy upon application and is flattering on most skin tones.

Tips

• Apply directly or use a lip brush to define your lips.
• If you have super dry lips, moisturize lips properly, blot with a clean napkin before you apply red lipstick.
• If you want your red lipstick to stay longer, use a red lip pencil underneath.
• Check your teeth every now and then for lipstick stain.

Will I repurchase?
Yes

To whom do I recommend this to?
Anyone into inexpensive red lipsticks.

Where to purchase and how much?

All the personal care set are available in all Penshoppe stores as well as online via www.shop.penshoppe.com for Php199.00 (approx $4.62).

Photos

Rouge Lip Shade in Sangria on my lips

No gloss nor lip balm

A before and after shot of my lips

I will be giving away a tube of the Penshoppe's Rouge Lip Shade in Sangria either on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!  It will be anytime, anyday so...

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Have you tried any of the Penshoppe's Personal Care Collection?

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(Product sent for review.  Opinions 100% mine.  Please purchase at your own discretion.)

K-Palette Zero Kuma Cover Control Concealers Review

Happy Tuesday AMW Friends!
Are you well rested today?  I hope so as we're all ready to face another week, stressful or not, it is best to face it with a smile!

Speaking about stress, it seems like concealing is one of the many important makeup techniques a lot of you would like to master!  How do I know that?  Well, 40% of AMW queries focus on concealing and concealers!  No wonder I created this post and this post.

And the search for perfect concealer continues!  I recently got hold of the most asked concealer since it made its appearance at the local Beauty Bars!  The K-Palette Zero Kuma Cover Control Concealer.  I've loved K-Palette made products, they never fail!  So are these Kuma concealers another winner in my dictionary? 

Read on...

AMW Bulletin: Clinique Bonus for the month of September

Dear Local AMW Readers:

It's Clinique Bonus Time once again!  Who's excited?

I am one of the many Clinique loyalists who would be waiting for this moment!  Who doesn't want to get freebies when you purchase something? 

With a single receipt purchase of Php4,500 at Clinique stores from September 1-23, 2012 you get an 8-piece gift!  Step up your purchase to Php5,000 you'll get a toiletry kit!

• Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion 15ml
• All About Eyes Rich 5ml
• Moisture Surge Intense Fortifying Hydrator 15ml
• Turnaround Instant Facial 15ml
• Liquid Facial Soap Mild 30ml
• Moisture Surge Facial Spray
• Almost Lipstick in Flirty Honey

Best of all, Clinique remains its promise of being Allergy Tested, 100% Fragrance Free!

Are you buying something from Clinique this September?

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AMW Reviews: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Pencil

Bobbi Brown Spring 2012 is the makeup collection we, living in a humid country would love!  The Long-Wear Eye Collection. 

From Coffee to Cocktails, that's the Bobbi Brown Promise.  What to expect from this collection? ---

• Long-Wear Eye Pencils
• Long-Wear Cream Shadows 
• Long-Wear Gel Liner
• Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara

I do not own everything from the collection, but I'm lucky enough to have 1 of the most coveted long-wear eye pencil that has been closely associated with the like of the Bobbi Brown Gel Liner.  Angela and I had a long discussion about this over dinner.  Yes, it was a night about eyeliner pencils! *laughs*  And hey, it wasn't boring at all!

Bobbi Brown says ---

The wait is over: for those who want the benefits of Bobbi's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in pencil form, here it is. This richly pigmented formula really goes the distance, staying put for 12 hours. Long-Wear Eye Pencil's densely pigmented formula glides on smoothly, for intense definition that lasts all day, so there's no need to worry about smudging or smearing. Apply in the morning and wear it into the night. Each pencil comes with a complimentary sharpener.

AMW says ---

Pros

• Gel-liner kind of pigmentation in a pencil form.
• Glides on smoothly without tugging the lids.
• Very pigmented.  You see rich color in one swipe.
• Once set, it doesn't budge until makeup removal.
• Comes with a pencil sharpener!
• One of the very few eyeliner pencil that stays on waterline for at least 4 hours! 

Cons

• As compared to gel liner and a brush, constant sharpening is needed as the tip wears down after every use.
• To some, the price.  But for me, it's all worth it!

Overall
One of the best eyeliner pencil I've used to date.  Creamy, applies smoothly and stays longer than other eyeliner pencils.

Tips

• I tested this product so many times and in so many ways.  I tried setting the liner with an eyeshadow powder but it ended up having the shadows smudging on me.
• I tested the product alone by applying a thin line on the upper lash line and lower lash line,  with a clean pencil brush, I smudge the eyeliner pencil a bit to lessen the harsh look and this method helped set the pencil liner.  The liner stayed longer.
• Always sharpen the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Pencil to create a nice, sharp line. (if that's your preference)
• For super oily lids, it is still best to use an eyelid primer to prevent smudging.

Will I repurchase?
Yes!  I already did!  I repurchased Jet shade.

To whom do I recommend this to?
Anyone who likes the look of a gel liner but aren't comfortable applying liner with a brush.

Where to purchase and how much?
The Long Wear Eye Collection is now available at Bobbi Brown counters in Rustan’s Makati (812-2507), Rustan’s Shangri-La (633-4636 loc 114) and Rockwell Essenses (822-9400).

The Long-Wear eye pencil costs Php1,450.00 (approx $35.00).

Photos

The pencil I get to review is in Jet

which is considered the blackest of all black in this collection

 One light-hand stroke can create matte, pure black and very consistent shade.

Without tugging my eyelids, I can easily apply the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Pencil on my upper lashline by leaning my head backwards staring down at the mirror.  If you're comfortable with tightlining, feel free to tightline as well.

With less pressure, I can easily apply the liner on my waterline.

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Pencil

in shade: Jet

So far, I am very impressed with the quality of this eyeliner pencil!  I have to say, Bobbi Brown lived up to my expectation on my makeup taking me from morning to night without touch-ups!

Have you found anything interesting from this collection?
Which among the Long-Wear collection do you wish to own?

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(Product received for review.  Opinions 100% mine.  Please purchase at your own discretion.)

Weekend Food Tripping at: OctoBoy

Happy Sunday everyone!  How's the weekend treating you?  

The week has been all about food for me, both my dads (mine and Keith's) celebrated their birthday the same week!  So imagine how big my tummy is at this very moment!  I need to burn it off by... typing!  *laughs*

Before I spoil your appetite talking about calories or even exercise!  Let me share to you one of the restaurant I visited over the week.

Octoboy!

I've seen Octoboy Sizzling Japanese Pizza Restaurant each time I pass along Tomas Morato and Retiro.  Both branches caught my attention because of their cute Octopus model!  

Since my mom and dad was adventurous that night, we've decided to give Octoboy a visit.  The restaurant is located at the 2nd floor and I find the restaurant clean and cozy.  You can immediately see how neat their kitchen is.

Pork Okonomiyaki

Php355.00 (approx $8.45)

Chasu pork, mozerella, Hoisin sauce, onion mayo,

 kimchi, pork floss and spring onions

A huge slap on my forehead because I didn't get to try authentic Japanese Okonomiyaki during our Japan trip early this year.  This time will be different, I made sure to make this order and see what I have/haven't missed!

At first glance, Pork Okonomiyaki may look overwhelming for my taste buds but all the ingredients blended together giving an awesome taste to the Japanese pizza experience.  The existence of Kimchi was a bit confusing for me but I like the sudden change from sweet and sour to spicy which played loads of tricks on my taste buds!

 Yakiudon Chicken

Php365.00 (approx $8.70)

Yakiudon, as we all know, is a kind of Japanese fried noodles.  An order of Yakiudon Chicken comes with boneless fried chicken placed on top of the noodles with sweet sauce drizzled all over fried noodles.  

The dish was overall okay, I have tried better Yakiudon dish in the pass so I'll give this a skip on my next visit.

 Seafood Ramen

Php285.00 (approx $6.70)

I was dead-craving for noodle soup that night so this came in just in time for me to savor!  The meat or fish based broth reminded me so much of "miso soup".  The seafood ramen came with a huge chunk of boneless fish fillet, crabstick and fish cakes. 

Octopus Takoyaki

Php120.00 (approx $2.85)

Octoboy's Takoyaki has four variants.  Octopus, Bacon & Cheese, Shrimp and Salmon.  The octopus didn't fail us as I love how huge the balls were made.  6 pcs of Octopus Takoyaki served with sweet sauce made my night!  This is definitely worth trying!

Gyudon

Php185.00 (approx $4.40)

I ordered mom and dad each a Gyudon meal as I know a dinner isn't a dinner without rice!  I was able to give this dish a taste (thanks mom!) and so far, I'm quite impressed with how tender and tasty their beef strips are!  My mom and dad finished this dish in an instant!

 The restaurant normally accepts credit card payments but that night, we were advised they only accept cash payment. 

The overall experience was good.  We will definitely go back.

Octoboy

Unit 2-C, 2nd Level
186 Tomas Morato Ave. cor. Sct De Guia St.
Quezon City, Manila

Tel no: (+632) 384-8506

Have you tried all the dishes mentioned above from other Japanese restaurants?

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AMW Reports: This is How I Eat my Nestle Crunch

Growing up, chocolates were never visible inside our fridge, either you pick a healthy fruit or you get to drink chilled water, that's the most fun thing you can do with our fridge!  *laughs*

Before you pat my head and pity the poor old me, don't worry, I have wonderful relatives and friends who would bring us chocolates from their trip abroad.  And one of them would always be my favorite Nestle Crunch!  

Oh, since there's 4 of us siblings, we get to divide the chocolates equally into four!  

Fun memories right?

Can you imagine the excitement I got when I was asked to try the newest Nestle Crunch Ice Cream!  Who can say no to that?  And the best part?  I get to try the ice cream and have my photos taken by internationally famous photographer Niccolo Cosme! 

The day finally arrived and the giddy child in me felt excited to tear up the Nestle Crunch Ice Cream. 

I was asked to kiss the ice cream but all that was on top of my head was: "Can I bite now?  Can I bite now?"  

After a couple of shots, I was able to take my first bite and I can definitely taste my favorite Nestle Crunch chocolate on the crispy outer shell!  Inside, I enjoyed the chocolate ice cream with choco fudge filling that oozes out after every bite!  It was easy to do FUNTACULAR ways on enjoying the Nestle Crunch Ice Cream!

After the shoot

Trixie, Me, Niccolo, Kira and Krissy

Fast forward to a couple of weeks, which was exactly today!  The bloggers who has shown Funtacular ways of eating the ice cream were all invited at Cravings, EDSA Shangri-la Mall  for the unveiling of the photos plus the official launch of this mouth-watering ice cream!

 **Tee: Forever 21 (beige)

Black Outerwear: from Korea

Skirt: Forever 21 

Shoes: Yosi Samra

All 23 bloggers enjoying the new Nestle Crunch!  The Bite Meister, Catcher, Crunch Connoiseur, No-Look Lick, Toss N' Flip It, Zero Gravity, The Pious Monk, Go Freeze, Click-Then Crunch, Lip Smacker, you name it, they got it! :)

Here's my final shot! :)

 

Have you tried Nestle Crunch Ice Cream?
How would you eat it?
Thanks Nestle and Nuffnang Philippines for the opportunity!  

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AMW and Char Char as The Purple Groom's Brand Ambassadors

When The Purple Groom contacted me and Char Char to be one of their Brand Ambassadors, I did not hesitate one bit as I want to have good memories and photos with my furry friend Char Char.

Char Char's mom Lucky was a gift to me by my uncle, when Lucky gave birth to Pudding and Char Char, she underwent caesarian operation in which Lucky turned out not to recognize her puppies!  Because we don't want Char Char and Pudding to die out of hunger, my mom and I took turns feeding them every hour for the next 3 weeks.  It was a difficult task but I didn't mind at all as I love them dearly.

Fast forward to 7 years after, I'm glad to have this chance to share to the world how much I love dogs in general!

It was a lovely day at The Purple Groom, California Garden Branch.  The store is quite huge as compared to other pet grooming stores I have been to. 

I was told that The Purple Groom offers no-frills complete grooming package for our pets.  Groomers are certified licensed dog handlers who can make the grooming experience comfortable for our lovely friends!  And the cute mission?  "Is to make every pooch happy and clean".  Don't we owners love that?

Since it was a photoshoot with the owner, yours truly was also groom *ahem* made up!

Melai from The Face Shop, did my makeup using all The Face Shop products except for the Glambox Mink Lash that I brought and my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick Passionnee in which she happily helped me applied.

Thank goodness Ed from Bench Fix Salon was there to help me style my hair!  I was in a rush that morning so my hair looks limp, straight and boring!

Of course, while I was made up, my dearest Char Char is also going through his own makeover!

Thanks to a fellow pet-lover photographer Benjie Tiongco from Benji Tiongco Photography for the patience and the directions!  He definitely knows how to take good angles not only on human but pets as well!

 

**photo taken from The Purple Groom Facebook Page

 Some of the shots taken by Mr. AMW

Char Char was well behaved!

Hugging my baby!
Check out Char Char's expression!

And of course, the star needs to have his own photoshoot

Mr. AMW and Char Char

Char Char was obviously exhausted but still managed to look at the camera

The glamorous life is definitely not for him! :P

Thanks to The Purple Groom owner Jayme Chua, who at the end turned out my friend's cousin!  (that's a small world!).  

 

For your pet grooming needs, feel free to visit The Purple Groom at the following branches ---

• Pasig (Tiendesitas)
• Quezon City (Xavierville)
• Cainta (Greenwoods)
• Mandaluyong (California Garden)
• Home Service (Metro Manila)

**Don't forget to Like them on Facebook. 

I'm not endorsing them just because they had me and Char Char as their Brand Ambassadors.  Just look at how lovely Char Char looked after the grooming.  I am satisfied and happy with their service!

Where do you bring your lovely pooch for their grooming needs?

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