Askmewhats Reviews: Sally Hansen Base and Top Coat

UPDATE: I have tested this on my 2nd polish and today is the "5th day" mark and I started to see my pinkie fingernail chipped a bit. So it's tested 2x! Instead of having my polish chipped on the 2nd-3rd day, it prolongs the life of my polish for an additional 2 days! :D

Sally Hansen Says ---

As a Base Coat - Double Duty moisturizes and hydrates nails withPanthenol - strenghtening Pro-Vitamin B5. It smooths the nail surface and improves nail color adherence for longer-lasting results.

As a Top Coat - Double Duty protects nails with Nylon, a proven nail-building hardener. Nails are shielded with a hard, shiny, chip-resistant finish.

Double Duty gives you more perfect manicures and stronger, more beautiful nails!

Askmewhats Says ---

Pros

• 2-in-1 product? Who doesn't love?
• Sally Hansen nylon brush, I always love their brush
  
• I've used this as a base coat for my "Devil Loves Gold" Nails , minimizes yellow nails hmm..let's say 2%? lol but really, for such dark nail polish I've used, it really helps minimize jaundice nails
• I am in a work that needs full day of typing, and trust me, I type really hard! (ask my colleagues), nail polish especially the pinky finger chips after 2 days , with Sally Hansen as a Top Coat, it lasts 4 days CHIP FREE!!! Afterwards, it starts to chip but not as much as regular top coat
  
• I can't say anything about the strengthening property of this polish as my nails are strong and hard to start with *knocks on wood*
  

Cons

• definitely not CHIP FREE polish but prolongs the life of the polish
  

Overall Tips

• Always shake gently
• Always apply to clean dry nails
  
• For base coat, I prefer to apply just one coat instead of 2
• For top coat, I prefer to apply a regular clear polish first and top with this Double Duty Top Coat (it works better this way)
• Apply as top coat not only the nail itself but also the tips of your nails
  

Will I repurchase?

Yes

Where did I purchase and how much?

I bought mine at the Robinson's Place for Php335.75 (approx $6.80)


Hope this review helps you nail addicts out there!
I learned that taking care of your nails is just like taking care of your skin!
You can't have lovely nails without the right products
especially if you do mani and pedis regularly!
Take care!

Playing Shop in your Stash

My dear blogger friend Paris Beaverbanks started a lovely topic in her blog called "Let's Play Shop in your Stash" (check out her blog for rules and goals)

I want to be part of it as it's fun! I only need to look at my stash on skincare, make-up, clothes or anything I own that is over 5 months that I haven't used in a while and blog about it. It's like a wake-up call for me...to appreciate what I have and what works for me and stop me from lusting on more! *ouch * lol

Here goes, I shopped at my stash last night and I saw my Paul & Joe Dual Crayons! Everybody knows I'm a P&J Addict but sad to say, I've been buying so much that I tend to play favorites and leave some of them behind.

In the photo below, I have 2 but I will talk about the P&J Dual Crayon no. 3 (the one in White and Red) in which I have for months now but I didn't have the chance to use it because.....I only have one face and I hauled so much :O

Available at Paul & Joe Rustan's Makati for Php950.00 (approx USD22.00)


Swatches

Both pencils are wonderful, I have been using Paul & Joe Dual Crayon no. 1 everyday. It has the blue side and the black side. I love it that it's dual purpose, and it doesn't crease, glides easily on the waterline and best of all? It lasts all day!

What I NEED to use is my P&J Dual crayon no. 3 which is the white eyeliner and red lipliner! The lovely SA of Paul & Joe Rustan's Makati Von (not sure the spelling) recommended me to buy this because aside from getting 2 products in 1, I have a lipliner that works on any lipcolor plus a white eyeliner that brightens the inner corner of your eye like you had 8 hours of sleep!

I seldom use lipliner and I'm too lazy to line my eyes with a white eyeliner after using a black eyeliner. So it was left in my stash and it's just right for me to wake this liner up after it's hibernation!

Thanks to Paris B for reminding us to always SHOP IN OUR STASHES before we go lemming for more products! :)

What about you?
Care to share what's left in your stash that's worth looking back?

Weekend Food Tripping at: Flavours of China

Note: I went for a haircut but when I arrived, I learned that my Hair Stylist resigned already and moved to China :( :( :( I felt so lost because he has been my stylist for years! And I love the way he cuts my hair, I love the way he layers it and it doesn't look like the "typical" layers most stylist would give. Anyways, I went to Bench Fix Salon at Glorietta and had my hair cut for the 2nd time. I can't remember the first stylist so I go for whoever's free.

He did what I requested though, cut 2 inches off, fix the layers and make the hair into a "U-shape" rather than the old "v-shape". He has done his part and I like it :) Here's a photo of my new hair in my pajamies! :D

Anyways, it's weekend food tripping once again.

If you want affordable Chinese food, I would say Flavours of China should always be a part of your list! Their servings could be small on some orders though, but if its affordable and tastes good? So who cares?

Here's their lovely Menu

I used to be addicted to Shanghai Rolls, but it has been YEARS since I last had my Rolls. I can eat 1 piece but if I go further, the oil bothers me...it's just me though. But this tastes yummy! I hope it's crunchier though.

My favorite! You'll definitely see this on the table if I dine in a Chinese restaurant.

Steamed Garlic Fish

Me and my hubby most of the time do not order rice, so what we need to fill our tummy? Noodles!

Pancit Canton

Flavors of China has a lot of branches and you find them in different malls and self-standing location like in Makati, Tomas Morato etc...

You will spend less than Php1,000 (approx $20.00) for 3 dishes!

Good food at an affordable price! And if you use Metrobank credit card and spends more than Php1,000 You can get a free dish! :D So always check out with the waiters/waitresses on freebies!

Eating, Chatting, Relaxing...
ahhh......
Life! What more can you ask for?
Enjoy the food you eat!
Let's not think about dieting for once :D

NYX Herades and Natio Cherry Lipgloss Swatches

Note: I've got my Joppa Large Sized samples! I love their shipping, it's always a week! I got the larger size of Medium Light #2 and their Finishing Silk in Sheer! I took advantage of their free shipping and I'm happy!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As seen in my previous post here

I've got lovely gifts from Bee! A lovely friend from Malaysia. Some of my lovely readers were asking for swatches and I finally found the time to take shots! Yup, I did it all myself!

In this post, you'll see 2 lip products!

NYX Round Lipstick in Herades
Natio Ultra Shiny Fruit Gloss in Cherry

Let me start off with NYX Round Lipstick in Herades
Brownish Orange in Color
Very creamy

Here's how it looks like when applied on my lips

And to make the swatch more "imagination-proof" lol
I have taken a shot with sunglasses lol
so you'll see the effect on the full face!
And not drawn to look at my puffy Asian eyes LOL

Now let's continue with another Lip Gloss
Natio Ultra Shiny Fruit Gloss in Cherry

Though it's Cherry, it isn't DARK red in color but Dark Pink IMO
It is super shiny and doesn't have the big glitters as some shiny glosses would have
Just like any other glosses, it is sticky
So if you are not into sticky glosses, this isn't the one

And here's how it looks like on my lips

Glosses makes my lips looks plumper and full



And can I have fun?
I wish to have lashes this long :P
Well not in red though LOL

** MUWAH ** to everyone!
Pucker up and show me some pouty lips! :P
I am having my haircut today!
It's nothing drastic, just trim a couple of inches
as I'm starting to get tangles (a sign that I need a hair cut)
Enjoy the rest of the weekend! Take care

Askmewhats Revisits: Clinique Moisture Surge Extra Thirsty Skin Relief

All Saint's Day today!

I will be off to the Cemetery to visit my loved ones who has passed away. But before I go, I will leave you guys with a new entry I call "Askmewhats Revisits". What made me decided to do posts like this? Well, I have been using and reviewing a lot of products and some of the products I've reviewed just after weeks or months of usage. Which, of course could change after longer period of time. Some products may work at the start but not after some time or vice versa. That's when I thought of revisiting these products and talk about them.

What inspires me to this post is when I finished up my Clinique's Moisture Surge Extra Thirsty Skin Relief *whew* or can I just say MSE?

I have done a very simple review in the past and now that I'm done with this tub, I think it is just right for me to talk more about this product! (Check out the old review by smiling and clicking MSE)

Clinique's MSE says ---

• Rapidly boosts skin's moisture level, restoring balance to comfort, soften and smooth in a flash
• Plump up fine dry lines
• Oil-free - For all skin types
• May be used as a refreshing, moisture-intensive 5-minute mask

Askmewhats Says ---

Pros

• Absorbs quickly
  
• Doesn't feel heavy on the skin, NOT sticky at all!
  
• Definitely moisturizes DRAMATICALLY
• Oil free --- I am dry skin as you all know but this works for oilies out there :P
  
• I wake up with really smooth soft skin
• No skin irritations or breakouts
• It's allergy-testetd! (Yay! I'm a woman with a lot of allergies! lol)
  

Cons

• no SPF (but it's ok, this supposedly acts as a night moisturizer)
• unhygienic packaging, you will definitely expose the product to dirt "everytime" you use the product. (take a look at the photo below)
• this product has been discontinued and replaced by Clinique Moisture Surge EXTENDED Skin Relief (haven't tried this yet)
  

Overall

This is my HG moisturizer. Although this product was made to "BOOST" moisture, meaning, you need to use a separate moisturizer then "seal" the moisture with this MSE, in my opinion, find this step unnecessary as I have super dry skin and using this product alone is enough to "hydrate" my skin. I find the texture of this gel really light and absorbs quickly on the skin, which makes my make-up application really fast and easy.

After almost a year of usage, I can say I don't have dry skin anymore with this moisturizer and I find this as my HG.

I use this as a day moisturizer and I use the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion at night (my own preference).

Tips

• Since I find the jar to be unhygienic, I transfer the contents with a plastic spatula to my sample jar of MSE. I've transferred approximately 10x for a 75ml jar

• I tend to judge on the price easily, so what I do is I mark the day I started to use the product so no matter how expensive a product is, if it works, and it lasts long, it's worth it! I've used this once a day since January 19, 2008 ---- WORTH IT!
  

• Some people claim to use this as a face MASK, I find this is unnecessary because applying this product thinly over your face is enough to moisturize. And applying this thickly as a face mask will let you finish up the product faster <-- which, could be a marketing strategy
  
• For Combo Skin: Apply thickly on areas that tends to dry or flakes your skin and apply thinly on areas that has more moisture
• You must use a face sunblock still because this product doesn't have any SPF
  

Will I repurchase?

YES

Where did I purchase and how much?

I purchased this at the Duty Free Shop in the Philippines for $46.50

I will revisit my Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion as soon as I finish it up. So you know where I am at the moment with my DDML here's a photo I took just yesterday!

Still a long way to go huh?

I had a review about this early on and I find this works OK but NOT dramatic at all, (check it out here). Did I change my mind? We'll see! :)

*yawns* I have to dash off!
Keep that happy face coming and smile!
It's free 'ya know *winks*